Unstoppable Online Gambling: Families Now Shoulder 10.84 Million Yen in Debt

Every year, May 14th to 20th is designated as "Gambling Addiction Awareness Week." In conjunction with this awareness week, our association compiles and announces the results of a survey conducted among individuals with gambling addiction and their families who sought consultation.

Recent gambling trends show that not only online casinos but also public competitions are increasingly moving online, making it harder to quit and causing debt amounts to swell. The average amount families shoulder has finally exceeded 10 million yen. Despite this, measures against gambling addiction are progressing slowly. The nature of the gambling industry has become dangerous, destroying the lives of young people and families. (The survey covers January to December 2025).

*Gambling Addiction Awareness Week: A national statutory week established annually from May 14th to 20th, based on the "Basic Act on Gambling Addiction Countermeasures" enacted in 2018. It mandates that national and local governments and related businesses intensively conduct awareness activities regarding gambling addiction issues.

【Three Facts Revealed by This Year's Survey】
① Soaring Debt: The average amount families shoulder increased from 7.63 million yen to 10.84 million yen in four years. This creates a structure where a family bears several times their annual income.
② Younger Age and Higher Education: 30-40% of affected individuals are in their 20s. Consultations from university and graduate students have increased 2.6 times in four years.
③ Dangers of Online Gambling: The arrest/crime rate for online casino users is consistently about 10 percentage points higher than for non-users.

【1】Family Consultation Survey Results: This is a survey of participants in our association's family consultation sessions. (N=463)

① Age of Individuals with Gambling Addiction

In 2025, individuals in their 20s accounted for 37%, and those in their 30s accounted for 35%. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of individuals in their 20s has remained high, indicating that the trend of younger age is becoming a structural tendency rather than a temporary phenomenon. The background is thought to be that the online environment, which allows betting 24 hours a day via smartphones, is rapidly shortening the period from beginner to addiction onset.

*Family Association: A self-help organization where families of gambling addicts share their worries and coping strategies and learn from each other. The sense of security that "I am not alone" and practical knowledge gained from previous cases lead to the resolution of family isolation and improvement in the quality of support for affected individuals.

*Family Consultation Session: A consultation venue for families of affected individuals (parents, spouses, siblings, etc.). It functions as a place to learn coping methods and organize one's thoughts before families themselves fall into confusion, exhaustion, or co-dependency. Our association conducts these sessions free of charge and online.

*Affected Individual: In this release, refers to the person who has developed gambling addiction. Synonymous with "addict" or "person with addiction." Used to distinguish from family members and supporters.

② Cases where Gambling Problems Lead to Crime

The arrest/crime rate for online casino users is consistently about 10 percentage points higher than for non-users (2025: 36.2% for users vs. 26.9% for non-users). The characteristic of "high-speed gambling," where wins and losses are decided in seconds and it never stops 24 hours a day, triggers criminal acts such as embezzlement, theft, and fraud. Although using online casinos in Japan is illegal, connecting to overseas operated sites is practically left unchecked.

③ Amount of Debt for Individuals with Gambling Addiction

The average amount of debt, including household theft and borrowing from relatives/acquaintances, swelled approximately 1.4 times from 7.63 million yen in 2022 to 10.84 million yen in four years. This amount is equivalent to more than twice the average annual income of a salaried worker (approximately 4.6 million yen), reaching a level that exposes not only the individual but also the entire household to the risk of economic ruin.

④ Proportion of University and Graduate Students among Individuals with Gambling Addiction

We infer that the advancement of online gambling and the significantly shortened time to addiction are factors contributing to the increase in consultations from university and graduate students. Universities should be made aware that current gambling can lead to uncontrollable addiction if one carelessly gets involved, and high schools should consider establishing and introducing evidence-based preventive education.

Currently, with smartphones providing access to public competitions and online casinos, the period from initial play to addiction onset is observed to be shortened to several months to about one year in the field. There are cases where students lose scholarships and living expenses, leading to withdrawal from school and loss of employment opportunities.

*Evidence-based preventive education: Addiction prevention education using methods backed by scientific research and statistical data. Traditional awareness campaigns that merely moralize, such as "gambling is scary" or "you must quit," have been found to be ineffective. Structured programs are needed, including accurate understanding of risk factors, recognition of early signs, and awareness of consultation resources.

⑤ Average Age of Affected Individuals by Relationship Type in Family Consultations (Valid responses N=461) Overall average 34.2 years old

It is desirable for parents to seek consultation early, while the affected individual is still single. If parents repeatedly cover debts and the gambling problem remains hidden until marriage, significant hardship will be passed on to spouses and children. Such cases are common.