3.2 million estimated problem gamblers in Japan: survey

Around 3.6 percent of the Japanese population have suffered from gambling addiction, according to a government survey released on Friday.

The number amounts to around 3.2 million people nationwide, said The Japan Times in a report.

The survey also shows that around 700,000 people, or 0.8 percent of the population, were addicted within the past year.

Among them, pachinko accounted for the most money spent on gambling.

Gambling addiction has become the centre of public debate in Japan over the last year, with many fingers pointed at the forthcoming establishment of IRs.

However, in August, the light was shone on Japan’s lucrative pachinko industry, with the National Police Agency announcing new policies to minimize harm addiction to pachinko gambling.

The Japanese government has also made moves to limit harm from race betting, which includes the removal of ATM machines from venues.

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