Between December 13 and December 20, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department conducted on-site inspections of 80 amusement casino establishments in the Shinjuku district. Illegal activities were confirmed at 48 locations—amounting to 60% of the inspected venues—with a total of 84 violations of the Adult Entertainment Business Act. This marks the first time the Tokyo police have carried out a simultaneous mass inspection of amusement casinos, which are licensed as amusement arcades and legally prohibited from offering gambling.
Under Japanese law, these establishments are strictly forbidden from allowing customers to exchange chips or medals earned through gameplay for prizes, nor can they permit customers to take these items outside the premises. However, it has been discovered that certain venues in Tokyo have been bypassing these regulations. They reportedly convert chips into digital points called “Web Coins,” which are managed via mobile apps, allowing customers to use their winnings at other affiliated locations.
It is believed that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department conducted this large-scale operation specifically to address and crack down on this illicit practice of digitizing and transferring gaming credits.