A growing number of online operators are targeting Japan, attracted by the potential of converting some of the $38 billion in annual pachinko revenue to their sites, though cracking the market takes patience, meticulous attention to detail and full immersion in the local culture. Online gaming is illegal in Japan, although the regulations are not strictly enforced. Some operators are betting on the fact that once the country finally has casinos up and running, online regulation will follow suit. “We’ve seen it in other countries. We might be wrong, but we really hope that will be the case,” said an executive from a recently launched an online operation in Japan, who wished to remain anonymous. Figures for the current size of the market are hard to come by, although Robin Reed, CEO of operator Ichiban Ventures, told an SBC CasinoBeats conference panel that online casinos may be currently generating about $300 million...
