TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police this week raided an online casino operation based in the Kabukicho red-light district for having customers access overseas sites to place bets, reports NHK (June 27).
On Wednesday night, officers raided online casino RIZIN and arrested five employees, including 41-year-old Yasuhiro Yamaoka.
According to investigators, the operation provided customers with access overseas casino sites from 20 computers installed inside for the placing of bets on baccarat and other games.
All of the arrested employees admitted to the charges during questioning, police said.
As well, seven customers in their 20s to 80s who were in the store at the time of the search were also arrested on the spot on suspicion of gambling.
Police also found data for more than 5,000 people believed to be customers on the premises. Police suspect some the operation generated sales of about 4.5 billion yen, some of which may have gone to organized crime.
Police said that while there has been a succession of crackdowns on “store-less” payment agents and customers who access online casinos from smartphones, there still exist bricks-and-mortar operations in busy areas.
The operation is believed to have been purchasing points issued by online casino sites at low prices and selling them to customers. Police are investigating the possibility that a broker was involved.
The crime came to light when a suspect in a so-called “romance fraud” case was arrested last year. He had been a customer of the operation.
