Casino Las Vegas

Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police recently arrested three men accused of running an illegal mobile casino in Japan. While local authorities have long battled against online gambling in the country, this is the first action taken against mobile casino operators.

Tomoyuki Miyamoto, 30, and two accomplices were detained. Their mobile betting operation is estimated to have generated more than 130 million yen ($1.3 million) since it went live. The mobile betting site was very limited, offering only one game called janken (rock-paper-scissors). Repeated winners were given cash prizes: 1,000 yen for 3 wins in a row, and 10,000 yen for five times in a row. Each game cost 315 yen, and winnings were deposited directly in to winners’ bank accounts.

Miyamoto told investigators that prior to launching the mobile betting service, he spoke with lawyers about the legality of the site, and was told that it presented no legal problems. The odds of winning five in a row were dismally small. In fact, of the 130 million yen in revenue earned by the men, only about 1.4 million was paid in prizes.

Elsewhere in the world, mobile phone users can play rock-paper-scissors on their phone should at many of the mobile casinos powered by Playtech software, including Casino Las Vegas Mobile.