Exploring the Popularity of Soccer Betting in Japan: Trends, Insights and Tips for Bettors

Football, as it is known outside of Japan, has grown rapidly to become one of the country's favorite sports, attracting millions to stadiums and in front of televisions annually. It was only natural that such fervor for the sport would find its way into the betting arena and soccer betting has grown steadily in Japan over the last few years.

For all these reasons, the real situation in soccer betting gradually turns Japan into an inalienable part of both the country's gambling field and the constantly growing army of participants, the further development of the variety line and the expansion in possibilities over an online channel. This work thus examines the factors behind, techniques found applied among gamblers and perspectives of soccer betting popularity arising recently and developing in Japan.

The Rise of Soccer Betting in Japan: A Growing Trend

Over the last couple of years, soccer has grown increasingly popular in Japan - not only as a sport to watch but also as a market to bet on. According to a survey in 2024 by the Japan Sports Agency, soccer has now topped the most-wagered-on sport in Japan, taking the long-held lead of baseball in Japanese sports. This shift is remarkable considering the historical popularity of baseball in Japanese culture. Indeed, factors such as greater visibility through international soccer leagues like the English Premier League, La Liga and Serie A also contribute to fanning these flames. 

Soccer betting does not make an exception right after Japanese investors became even more involved with these soccer leagues. All this made much easier than ever: online platforms gave Japanese citizens a wide avenue to take an active part in placing a bet on their favorite or internationally renowned team.

Another factor that has helped fuel the increase is the influence of major soccer events, such as the FIFA World Cup. With major global events like this drawing even more attention to the sport, worldwide markets, too, including Japan, see a spike in activity. A case in point is the betting volumes that characterized sportsbooks in diverse ways during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Japan emerged to be one of the active nations in placing bets on each important international match.
 

Key Factors Driving Soccer Betting Popularity in Japan

Amongst these are increased access to online platforms for betting, which simply make it easier for bettors to place their bets on soccer matches without necessarily leaving the comfort of their homes. Japan's tech-savvy population is affine for digital services and hence is well-placed to take advantage of these platforms.

A report by the Japan Gambling Research Center in 2024 showed that close to 40% of all online betting activities in Japan were related to sports, with soccer constituting the lion's share.

Another important aspect is that international bookmakers become easily accessible to Japanese bettors. Through online platforms, every punter can get all sorts of bookmakers from everywhere in the world, each with their offer, variety and competitive prices.

With more and more sports betting organizations from around the world penetrating the Japanese markets, types of betting continue to increase, at least conceptually speaking. Comparisons between betting companies are continually encouraged to present the most attractive odds and services. This has sparked an increasingly cognizant sports betting environment.

Besides, the growth of mobile betting has played a significant role. Mobile sports betting in Japan has gained popularity, standing at more than 40% of the total Japanese sports bets made via mobile platforms by 2024. It means that placing a bet has become easier anywhere, whether it be while a match is being watched sitting at home, at some bar, or while traveling. The facility of easily and comfortably doing the process via mobile apps simply attracted the young generation towards soccer bets.

Besides that, there is growing concern about security and reliability during the selection of a bookmaker. With bettors increasingly informed about the associated risks with betting, it's likely that they would be more inclined towards seeking out best bookmakers that provide secure platforms reliable payouts and good customer service. This has, therefore, driven bettors to consult and evaluate various platforms offered before signing up.

How Japanese Bettors Approach Soccer Betting: Strategies and Preferences

Japanese gamblers tend to be tactical in their soccer betting. Most gamblers prefer to bet on the leagues and matches they know best, such as Japan's J-League or Europe's top leagues: the English Premier League and La Liga. Furthermore, this familiarity with specific teams, players and styles of play will help them make more informed decisions about their bets based on a deeper understanding of the game and its intricacies.

The most widely adopted strategy among Japanese gamblers involves value betting, which requires a bettor to determine situations where odds set by the bookmaker are well beyond the true chances of something happening. It's very much a statistical-based analysis entailing detailed insight into the performance of different teams. The punters analyze factors such as the form of a team in the last few games that it played, injuries to the team, head-to-head record between two competing teams and the performances of teams playing home or away.

The other useful strategy is betting on singles, not accumulators. Whereas multi-bets offer bigger rewards, in their case, the risks are also bigger. A single bet is one of the ways a punter can reduce risk and look toward the outcome of only one game; hence, this is ideal for novices in soccer betting, as well as experienced players who seek to make less risky bets.

Japanese bettors also frequently depend on pre-match analysis for informed decisions. What this means is that even before the kick-off of the game, the bettors study the lineups, tactical approaches and contexts of the match to make an educated prediction. It is a disciplined and data-driven mindset that many Japanese have adopted, especially for more mature betting markets like soccer.
 

Popular Soccer Betting Markets in Japan: What’s Gaining Attention?

With the rise in soccer betting in Japan, more and more bettors are looking into a variety of betting markets beyond conventional match outcome wagering at 1X2. A look at some of the popular betting markets gaining the attention of Japanese bettors: 

1X2 Match Result: This is the oldest, most straightforward bet on a soccer match, where a punter predicts a home team win, a draw, or an away team win. In this simplest format, it remains the favorite among Japanese punters and especially among those who have recently joined the world of betting. 

Over/Under Goals: The Over/Under market has grown to become one of the favorite kinds of bets that Japanese bettors have adopted. The most common threshold is 2.5 goals. In this kind of bet, a punter will predict whether the total number of goals scored will be over or under 2.5. This is usually common while betting on high-scoring teams or leagues.

Both Teams to Score (BTTS): This is yet another emerging bet where a punter predicts that both teams will score during any given match. This is a relatively popular bet in that it is simple and exciting, especially when two teams engaged are known for their attacking abilities. 

Asian Handicap: This bet is becoming increasingly popular, especially among the experienced punter. This involves giving some sort of virtual advantage or disadvantage to one team in order to make things fair. This market is used by a punter for betting on teams where large differences in skill levels take place, offering more value in competitive matches. 

Player Specials: This is also a very common bet that has been happening in Japan, especially regarding the performance of individual players. Markets such as "First Goalscorer" or "Anytime Goalscorer" allow punters to bet on specific players scoring in a match. 

The Japanese, with their vast knowledge of players' current form, are increasingly delving deep into such kinds of bets. Continuous innovation within soccer betting markets can make something for every category of a bettor, be it a fresh face on the scene or those more game-hardened. 

The level of soccer betting activities is steadily increasing in the Japanese population because of the following: more interest in soccer leagues, especially overseas events; it is easier for Japanese residents to access several online services; and increasing diversity of betting options offered. 

As gamblers become more sophisticated and serious, they are investigating the range of betting markets, using data-driven approaches and looking for ways in which better outcomes might be achieved. And with technology continuing to shape the face of sports betting, the phenomenal growth of soccer betting in Japan will continue well into the foreseeable future.