10.09.2026
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“Sports Law & Sports Business (Part 2) Regulatory Overview on Match-Fixing and Sports Betting in Japan”: Sports, Media & Entertainment Team

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Sports Law & Sports Business (Part 2)
Regulatory Overview on Match-Fixing and Sports Betting in Japan

In this column, we provide an overview on how match-fixing and sports betting are regulated in Japan.

 

1.     Match-Fixing

(1)    Premise

Yaocho, or match-fixing, is defined as "a match, such as sumo or other sports, in which one party has agreed in advance to lose, and the match is fought for appearances only. A fixed match." (Kojien Dictionary [7th Edition]) As discussed later, match-fixing by athletes has taken place in the world of sports, but there is no law in Japan that comprehensively regulates the act of match-fixing in sports itself.

Since match-fixing is typically linked to gambling conducted on the relevant sporting match, whether such conduct constitutes an offense - for example, gambling under Article 185 of the Penal Code - must, in principle, be determined individually under the Penal Code.

 

Please click here for the full article.

 

[Contents]

1.    Match-Fixing

2.    Sports Betting

3.    The Macolin Convention

4.    Summary

 

[Related Link]

Japanese: 「【スポーツ法・スポーツビジネス概説②】日本における八百長及びスポーツベッティングの規制概要」:スポーツ、メディア&エンターテインメントプラクティスチーム

Publication date
2026.09
Services
Sports Law
Publisher

Newsletter​​​​​​​

Authors
Partner

Kenta Nobe

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Associate

Takahiro Fujii

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