A draft proposal by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry (METI) to lift the ban on sports betting has caused a stir in Japan. While there are those who accept the idea that it will help revitalize the sports industry, others argue that such a move should not be rushed and that it could lead to match-fixing and encourage the development of gambling addictions.
According to the draft, a tech company and other entities will purchase match data and footage from leagues and clubs, and provide it to betting operators to calculate odds. Participants would place bets on smartphones and computers while watching the matches. Baseball, soccer and basketball were envisaged as targets.
