Six people were arrested last week for allegedly allowing customers to gamble on baccarat in a multi-tenancy building in Tokyo’s Kabukicho entertainment district, including the shop manager.
The men and women, including staff, were arrested on 14 October for allegedly trying to profit from the illegal casino operations. Two male customers were also among those arrested.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the casino had been open since January with monthly sales of around JPY7 million (US$66,500). It had also continued to operate during the COVID-19 state of emergency, providing sanitizer and masks and telling customers, “COVID-19 is not spread by underground gambling.” All of those arrested have admitted to the charges.
Since the start of the year, multiple illegal casinos have been raided with enforcement being stepped up ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
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