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Read Full BioA Japanese civil servant has been docked pay for repeatedly visiting illegal online gambling websites while on duty.
The Japanese media outlet Kanaloco reported that the unnamed public official also sold his co-workers’ private data.
The Kanagawa Prefecture government announced in an official release that the man’s pay would be reduced by 10% for the next six months.
Japanese Civil Servant: Gambling Punishment Announced
The official is described as a 30-year-old male Kanagawa Prefecture’s Environment and Agriculture Bureau employee.
The prefecture’s disciplinary board explained that the civil servant had repeatedly placed bets on online casino platforms using his smartphone during work hours.
The board said the staffer was given a summary order on April 26, 2024, after investigators learned he had been gambling at work since November 2023.
The man was suspended from his duties for six months. However, the board explained that five days after returning from suspension, he began gambling at work again.
During his suspension, the employee repeatedly lied to his superiors, with whom he was in regular contact.
He told senior bureau officials that he was no longer gambling when, in fact, he continued to place bets during his suspension, the board continued.
The man also leaked his colleagues’ personal information to “unregistered” loan sharks so he could raise more money to fuel his gambling habits.
Man Repeatedly Played Slot Machines, Says Disciplinary Board
Officials explained that the man placed at least 50,000 yen ($350) worth of bets on online slot machine games.
A spokesperson for the prefecture said: “This incident has shaken the public trust in the prefecture. It is truly regrettable. We would like to offer our deepest apologies to residents.”
There are currently over 3.33 million civil servants in Japan. Public servant jobs remain coveted in the country, mainly because of their many benefits and famous job security.
However, the rules governing the behavior of civil service officials remain famously strict. They comprise a comprehensive code of ethics that expressly forbids gambling.
Gambling is growing increasingly popular in Japan, with illegal betting sites increasingly targeting Japanese customers.
An association comprising many of the country’s top firms estimated this month that Japanese residents spend $44.2 billion on illegal sports betting sites based overseas every year.
Earlier this year, the National Police Agency reported that 3.37 million Japanese people have visited online casinos to date.
The agency believes bettors in the country have spent 1.2 trillion yen ($8.2 billion) on these sites. Police added that Most Japanese-language online casinos operate out of the Caribbean island nation of Curaçao.
