Japan’s crackdown on illegal online casino gambling continues with the arrest of a Fuji TV worker announced on Monday.
Nippon.com reported that Yoshitaka Suzuki, the manager in charge of planning at Fuji TV’s variety show division, was arrested for suspected repetitive illegal gambling. Suzuki is believed to have accessed the Eldoah Casino, a foreign online casino site, from Japan via smartphone, between Sept. 22, 2024, and May 13, 2025.
In addition to continuing the illegal gambling, Suzuki also allegedly lied about his ongoing habit during an internal investigation. The TV employee reportedly spent ¥100 million ($680,000) on the site, suffering losses of ¥24 million ($160,000).
“We take the case seriously,” Fuji TV said in a statement. “We will fully cooperate with the investigation and work to prevent a recurrence of such cases.”
Fuji TV presenter also gambling illegally
The arrest of Suzuki follows news last week of Fuji TV presenter Kenta Yamamoto also gambling at online casinos. Yamamoto has not been seen on the TV network since May 28, and the reason for his disappearance came to light last week.
Commenting on that case, a Fuji TV spokesperson said, “It has come to light that one of our employees, Kenta Yamamoto, has used online casinos in the past. When suspicions arose, as a company, we made the decision to suspend him. We will continue to consult with the relevant agencies to confirm the facts. We will also take strict action in accordance with our employee regulations.”
The company also apologized to its viewers. It said it would strive to prevent further cases. It wrote: “We feel it necessary to make this clear once again: Online casinos are illegal.”
Yamamoto was mainly a news and weather presenter at the network, rather than working on variety shows, which are under Suzuki’s planning control. There is no indication as yet whether the two men are connected, but Suzuki is said to have learned about online gambling from a senior colleague five years ago.
A former baseball player, Yamamoto issued a public apology after the allegations came to light: “I deeply regret my behavior. It was extremely inappropriate for someone like me, in a position to convey information to the public,” he said.
“My own poor judgment has resulted in damaging trust. I feel regret and shame that cannot be expressed in words. I will show more discipline in the future to ensure I do not repeat this mistake.”
Japan clamping down on online casino gambling
In addition to the two cases at Fuji TV, news broke last week of five members of the pro-baseball team the Saitama Seibu Lions also being caught gambling at online casinos. Their case has been referred to prosecutors, while police are also investigating reports of boy band JO1 member Shion Tsurubo’s illegal online gambling.
Japan has tough rules on gambling, and unlike many countries, is increasing its penalties for individuals as well as operators. With the volume of Suzuki’s gambling, he could well face strict penalties that range from fines of up to $500,000 to prison sentences.
The country has been attempting to tackle the spread of online casinos and passed a new law banning online casino ads last week. Police report that around $8.3 billion is spent annually by gamblers in Japan.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
