Poker in Osaka:
Live, Cashgames, Tournaments

Just in national casinos in 大阪 are real money tournaments of Texas Hold'em legal, because according to law in Japan poker is a game of luck. On this page we present you all the different options to play poker in Osaka and inform you about the legal framework in 大阪.

Legal notice: Is it legal to play poker Osaka ?

Poker Cash Games can fulfill in 大阪 and therefore also in Osaka the criminal offence of illegal gambling. One can be condemned based on these laws if one hosts public gambling or participates in it.

Is poker a game of chance?

The problem of whether poker is a game of luck is still not answered. It is enough to know that the legislation in Japan and therefore also in Osaka classifies poker as a game of chance. The national casinos in Japan have of course a allowance.

Poker in pubs in Osaka

Risk for the pubs & hosts: There is high risk of losing the official permission to operate a restaurant in Osaka if you make yourself liable to prosecution.

Result

• Poker cash games are in principle prohibited in Japan and therefore also in Osaka.
• The casinos in Japan have a state licence.
• Mostly it is very tricky for the authorities in Osaka to verify prohibited gambling.
• Tournaments are considered a game of skill, cash games a game of luck

Please note that the information provided does not constitute legal advice under the law and cannot replace legal advice, as such advice always requires knowledge of all individual circumstances, in particular of the specific individual case.

Cashgames: Real money poker games in Osaka

Playing poker for real money is not permitted in public. If plan to enter games for cash in Osaka, you will need to go to casinos & poker clubs and poker rooms in the local area. If you don't want to play in a casino but still don't want to give up poker cash games, you can evaluate Home Games, which are very regulated.

Poker tournaments in Osaka

Poker tournaments in Osaka are legal under specific circumstances. These are permitted as long as there are prizes and not real cash to be won. Furthermore, big poker tournaments are held often in 大阪! For an fast overview of the upcoming tournaments in Osaka, please search for our tournament calendar.

Poker Clubs: The best poker rooms in Osaka

Further options are offered by the various poker clubs & poker rooms with tournaments in and around Osaka. The poker landscape in Osaka is organized in several clubs & rooms and every year live poker events come to the city. Here is a helpful overview:

Live poker in casinos near by Osaka

You are not able to play live poker in Osaka in any casino in the center. 大阪 located its casinos mainly in smaller cities and outside the city center. It is though not a problem to get to them by car or public transport. The majority have additional their own shuttle service. If you want to use your own car, all casinos provide generous parking lots for poker enthusiasts. This year, however, nearly every casino in Japan is hosting poker games. There are as well tournament series and Poker Events that you can participate. On this site you'll see a summary, arranged by federal states, of all places offering poker with their precise games and all other information. After only a short drive you can play legal poker for money in one of the casinos around Osaka.

Casinos, Poker Rooms & Venues offering Poker in Osaka

• Amusement Bar Zeus ( Website )
  Japan, 〒530-0003 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Kita-ku, Dōjima, 1 Chome−３−１
• Jack & Queen ( Website )
  Japan, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, Naniwa Ward, Nanbanaka, 3 Chome−１４−１６ セイアンビル 1F
• Jupiter ( Website )
  Japan, 〒556-0005 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Naniwa-ku, Nipponbashi, 4 Chome−７ ワンダー３ビル
• Poker Club M ( Website )
  2 Chome-6-21 Sonezakishinchi, Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu, Japan
• Poker Live Osaka ( Website )
  Japan, 〒556-0011 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Naniwa-ku, Nanbanaka, 2 Chome−２ 難波バレビル

Best Poker Players from Osaka

• 1. Tsugunari Toma
  USD 2,271,373.00
• 2. Tetsuya Tsuchikawa
  USD 959,255.00
• 3. Motoyuki Mabuchi
  USD 729,479.00
• 4. Shinobu Tanaka
  USD 501,904.00
• 5. Yoshitaka Okawa
  USD 304,442.00
• 6. Masayuki Hakoda
  USD 124,377.00
• 7. Yukiko Ogasawara
  USD 85,305.00
• 8. Kim Wooka
  USD 83,207.00

Homegames: Pokern for real money in Osaka in private locations

In Osaka the laws of the federal state 大阪 applies. In order to play legal poker home games in Osaka you must be aware of the following:

Is it a public poker game?

The poker game needs to be hosted in public to establish criminal liability. A poker round is public after the jurisdiction in 大阪, if "it is made outwardly recognizably accessible to a not firmly closed circle of acquaintances". A good example of this is cash games in pubs in Osaka that anyone could access. This is illegal.

Habituality

Even a closed society can be considered public in 大阪 based on § 285 II StGB, if gambling takes place there according to law.If the poker round takes place regulardy, it is illegal in private rooms in Osaka as well as in public. For example, if money games are held for every week on the same day, it does not matter if it is a private room or public. Both are not allowed.

The best Online Poker Rooms in comparison

If you are searching for an easy way to play poker in Osaka, we can advise online poker. There are some popular poker platforms where you can poker for real money. After over 20 years of online poker history, a couple of providers have emerged as the most reliable and stable. We strongly recommend opening an account with these sites and poker there. The poker tables on offer are excellent, the choice is large, the players are numerous and the rake is not too high. Poker-in.com lists the most important and best providers in comparison.