Japan Adopts Gambling-Blocking App as Online Betting Harm Rises
Japan has adopted a UK-developed gambling-blocking app as concern grows over a rapid rise in online betting harm.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Japanese authorities and addiction charities have signalled mounting alarm after a domestic support group reported an 11-fold increase in consultation requests for the 12 months ending December 2024. That surge has coincided with an expanding market for online casinos, renewed public debate ahead of integrated resort bidding expected in 2027, and several high-profile enforcement stories, including allegations of illegal gambling involving police officers.
Against this backdrop, Gamban – a UK-based company that makes software to block access to gambling websites and apps – has launched a Japan-specific version of its product. Gamban co-founder Matt Zarb-Cousin said the company has translated its platform into Japanese and adapted its approach for local devices and payment methods. "The real difficulty comes with making the software difficult to remove, because obviously people are going to try to bypass it", he said, underscoring a central challenge in any self-exclusion or blocking programme.
The introduction of Gamban into Japan follows subsidy schemes and distribution deals in other jurisdictions. In parts of Europe and in several US states, regulated operators and public programmes have helped make the app freely available to users who cannot afford the annual subscription fee, which Gamban lists at JPY 5,250 (around $33). The firm reports roughly 500,000 global registrations and about 100,000 active users, and says its blocklist currently covers more than 360,000 domains and apps with roughly 300 additions each day.
Related: Japan's Upper House Votes to Ban Online Casino Ads
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Gamban operates as a cross-device blocker that aims to prevent access to known gambling domains and native apps. Installation can be paired with additional accountability measures – such as third-party password holders or device-level restrictions – to reduce the risk of users removing the software. The company also provides in-app estimates of time and money saved by avoiding gambling and links to local support services.
Despite these features, experts warn that technological solutions are only one part of a wider public-health response. Blocking tools can be circumvented by determined users who install alternative browsers, factory-reset devices, use virtual private networks, or shift to unlisted offshore operators. Moreover, online advertising and social media-driven marketing have created new pathways into gambling for younger cohorts, complicating enforcement.
Regulators face a second problem: policing illegal advertising and offshore operators that fall outside traditional licensing systems. Even when domestic operators support harm-minimisation tools, illegal sites can be distributed via affiliate networks and obscure app stores. That reality has prompted calls for coordinated action involving telecoms, payment firms and advertising platforms, together with clearer rules on how regulated operators must support vulnerable customers.
What Comes Next for Japan
The Gamban rollout is likely to be only one element of Japan’s response. Observers expect Japanese municipalities, national ministries and the nascent integrated-resort framework to test a mix of technological, regulatory and treatment-focused measures. Success will hinge on ensuring blocking software is accessible to those who need it, pairing it with counselling and debt advice, and stepping up cross-border enforcement against illegal operators.
For now, the move represents a notable shift: a country that has only recently opened up to large-scale casino projects is also deploying foreign-developed tools to tackle a modern, digitally driven risk. As Matt Zarb-Cousin put it, the work does not stop at translation and distribution: "Making the app resilient and pairing it with local services is essential if this is to be more than a short-term fix." Stakeholders from health services to internet providers will need to coordinate if Japan is to bend the current upward trend in gambling-related harm.
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