Every gambler wants to win profits. But this is very difficult to do when considering that the casino holds an edge in most games. Of course, you can use a combination of luck and skill to win more money. But banking on luck is a terrible way to earn long-term profits through gambling.
Therefore, you need to find games and advantage play techniques that give you an opportunity to win in the long run. I'm going to discuss the best games and advantage gambling methods that'll help you accomplish this goal.
Poker has long been one of the top ways to make money with gambling. This reputation has only increased in recent times with the availability of online poker. The reason why poker offers such a great opportunity to earn money is because you're competing against other players – not the house.
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But I believe that any poker player can win with the right approach. The only question is what route you should take towards becoming a winner. Read the stories of any successful poker player – past or present – and you'll see that there's no single road to get there. But there are some universal steps you can take to becoming a stronger player.
Here are different methods you can use to improve your skills:
- Watching pros on Twitch streams.
- Watching training videos on YouTube.
- Joining a training site (usually $30 per month).
- Reading poker strategy books.
- Reading poker strategy articles.
- Hiring a poker coach.
- Reviewing your sessions afterward.
You also have to decide what poker variation and type you want to attack. After all, this game offers over a dozen variations along with different game types. Some of the poker variants include Texas holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud, Razz, Badugi, H.O.R.S.E., and Crazy Pineapple. The different types of poker include cash games, multi-table tournaments (MTTs) sit and go's (SNGs), and lottery style games. You should throw out lottery style poker games right away if you're a serious player. These games rely on too much luck in order to win anything significant.
This leaves you choosing between cash games, MTTs, and SNGs. Here are the pros and cons to each of these choices:
- Cash games – Pros: great for steady hourly profits, especially when multi-tabling online. Cons: your losses can accelerate greatly if you're not skilled.
- MTTs – Pros: give you a chance at winning a huge payout for a small buy-in. Cons: bigger MTTs have lots of variance, meaning you won't cash often.
- SNGs – Pros: you can make a steady profit from SNGs without assuming too much risk. Cons: you need to multi-table SNGs or play higher stakes in order to make serious profits.
The biggest thing to keep in mind about poker is that it's not an easy way to win profits. This is especially the case in today's poker climate, which features better players than ever before. But as long as you're willing to take a long-term approach to the matter – rather than expecting quick winnings – then you can slowly grind up the stakes and make some money. Moreover, poker offers more opportunities to become a profitable gambler than anything else on this list. Despite modern poker's increasing overall skill level, you'll find lots of juicy cash games, MTTs, and SNGs.
Chances are that you've seen a daily fantasy sports (DFS) commercial or two. These commercials are often aimed at making sports fans think that they can easily win money. This couldn't be further from the truth, though, because DFS is a skill-based form of gambling. The biggest winners are those who dedicate the most time to creating lineups, analyzing statistics, and learning other strategies. Much like poker, you're competing against other DFS players to craft the best player lineups. This skill aspect gives you an opportunity to win on a consistent basis.
Of course, not everything regarding DFS is about analyzing stats. You also need to develop simple strategies that'll help you craft winning lineups. One of my favorite simple approaches involves looking for low-salary value players before filling out the rest my lineup. Focusing on the best value picks first helps me fill multiple positions on a roster before going for the high-salary players. Additionally, this allows me to see how much remaining money I have to go for the All-Stars at the end. DFS isn't as lucrative as poker or sports betting for the average gambler. But you can certainly win some major money through this form of gambling.
Case in point: former poker pro Aaron Jones won $5 million through a DraftKings NFL contest in 2016. Plenty of other players have won large payouts since then. First things first though; in that you need to become a successful player before dreaming about a big win. I suggest starting with general strategy in low-stakes contests, before diving into advanced stats and programs that can truly make your winner.
Sports betting is similar to poker and DFS in that you can win long-term profits. But it also works differently from these two games in some ways. Poker and DFS involve competing against other players, with the house collecting a small amount of rake from the contest. Sports betting, on the other hand, revolves around trying to figure out which side of the line has more value. Therefore, you're not competing directly against other bettors for winnings.
For example, you'd need to win 52.4% of point spread bets with 10% juice (comes from losing side) to be profitable. Winning over 52.4% of your wagers doesn't sound extremely difficult. But keep in mind that even the best sports gamblers only win 53% to 55% of their point spread wagers. The rate at which you need to win moneyline bets depends upon the odds you're taking. For example, you only need to win over 43.5% of the time on +130 moneyline bets to earn profits. But it's not any easier to beat moneyline wagers than point spreads or any other type of bet.
The reason why sports wagering is difficult to profit from is because bookmakers are really good at setting lines. Their goal is to create equal action on each outcome in a wager, thus guaranteeing them a profit when the juice is taken into account. I mentioned earlier how you're directly competing against other bettors. But you need to find favorable opportunities before most other gamblers, because lines shift when there's too much action on one side.
Jumping on lines early is one of the best things to do as a sports bettor. This allows you to find value before any potential shift occurs to balance out the action. Handicapping is the main strategy for finding value in lines. This technique involves examining a variety of factors to see if the bookmaker's odds lineup with your take.
Here's an example:
- Atlanta Falcons +140
- Carolina Panthers -165
- You handicap this game.
- You think that the Falcons are undervalued at +140.
- You bet on the Falcons to win.
The factors that you look at when handicapping differ based on the sport. But basic elements that you should consider include injuries, player matchups, travel schedules, motivational factors, and statistics.
Stats are very important in sports gambling, because you can use them to spot trends that'll give you an advantage over time. You can also use sports betting software to help you analyze advanced stats and make better bets. Of course, sports betting is like DFS in that you want to first learn the basics while concentrating on low stakes wagers. As you become more competent, you can graduate towards making bigger bets and using programs to help you out.
The esports industry has been rapidly increasing in popularity over the past few years. Esports betting, which has spawned from this growth, allows you to bet on the action. If you're already a sports gambler, then you'll appreciate the easy transition into esports betting. This form of gambling uses the same odds and types of bets that are featured in traditional sports gambling. You can also use many of the same handicapping skills to win esports wagers. The only difference is that you need to learn about the different games, leagues, and players involved.
Esports betting allows you to wager on over a dozen computer and console video games. Here are just some of the available games:
- Battlefield
- Call of Duty
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Dota 2
- Halo
- Hearthstone: Heroes of the Warcraft
- Heroes of the Storm
- League of Legends
- Overwatch
- Rocket League
- Smite
- Starcraft II
- Street Fighter
These games all have different leagues too, which gives you even more chances to specialize. But I strongly suggest that you only focus on one game and 1-2 leagues in the beginning until you master them. There's no sense in wagering on a bunch of options and spreading yourself thin. Instead, truly get to know a single game before moving on.
5 – Card Counting
Card counting is an advantage play technique that you can use in blackjack to make profits. The goal is to keep track of aces and 10-value cards so that you know when you have a better chance to get natural blackjack (21 on first two cards). Casinos pay you either 3:2 or 6:5 on your original bet when you have a winning natural blackjack. Therefore, you can gain a temporary advantage by making larger bets when your chances of getting a natural increase.
The biggest benefit to card counting is that you don't have to compete with other players to win. Instead, this is a matter of you learning how to count cards and avoid being caught by the casino. The latter is one of the biggest disadvantages to card counting. It doesn't matter how good you are if the pit boss detects that you're counting cards and has security escort you out the door.
This makes it important that you don't spread your bets too much when you have an advantage. Here are examples of an acceptable spread versus what's not:
- Acceptable – Going from table minimum of $10 to $50 (1-5 spread).
- Unacceptable – Going from table minimum of $5 to $500 (1-100 spread).
- Acceptable – Going from table minimum of $5 to $75 (1-15 spread).
- Unacceptable – Going from table minimum of $10 to $5,000 (1-500 spread).
One other critical aspect involves researching casinos and finding out which ones are more tolerant of bet spreads. Some gambling establishments will become suspicious immediately when you use a 1-15 spread, while others won't as long as you're not obvious about your counting efforts.
Of course, you also have to thoroughly learn and master a card counting system. The actual process of learning a system isn't overly difficult, especially if you use one like the OPP or Hi-Lo. The Hi-Lo is my favorite for beginners, because it's simple and will still produce good results. You should be able to learn how to use the Hi-Lo within a matter of minutes.
Also note that you'll need a large bankroll so that you don't risk busting out in your card counting endeavors. The average successful counter only has between a 0.5% and 1.5% edge, which makes for a lot of variance. You also have to account for how you'll be placing big bets when you have a positive count. This increases the risk, which is why you want at least a few thousand dollars in your bankroll when starting out.
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Hole carding is another advantage play technique that you can employ in blackjack. This strategy revolves around trying to see the dealer's face-down card (a.k.a. hole card) when they peek for a natural blackjack. As you may know, the dealer peeks for a blackjack when their upcard is either an ace or a 10-value card. The round ends if they have a natural, and anybody without a natural automatically loses.
Under optimal conditions with a dealer that consistently shows their hole card, you'll have anywhere between an 11% and 13% advantage. The biggest obstacle to hole carding is that there aren't many dealers who'll actually reveal their value when checking for blackjack. Chances are that you'll have to sit at 100 or more blackjack tables before you find a really bad dealer.
You also need to sit in the correct seat to spot the dealer's hole card. First base (seat to croupier's immediate left) is best when there's a right-handed dealer, and third base (seat to croupier's immediate right) is best when there's a left-handed dealer.
Video poker is the only house-banked casino game that offers you a long-term advantage. Unlike hole carding and card counting, you can sit at a video poker game for as long as you want and take advantage of profits. The first step to being a video poker winner involves knowing which variations actually provide an advantage. Here are the three most-common variants that will deliver long-term profits:
You may be disappointed to find out that there are no casinos outside of Nevada offering any video poker games with positive expected value (+EV). Moreover, the largest selection of beatable machines are found in Las Vegas. Assuming you have access to Nevada casinos – either through living in the area or visiting – then you want to practice for the games you'll be playing. After all, you need to use correct strategy to take advantage of +EV situations.
Also note that being an advantage video poker player is a volatile pursuit. You'll only get a royal flush on 1 out of 40,000 hands on average, meaning that you'll need to play numerous hands before realizing +EV. But as I mentioned before, the great thing about video poker is that you can play games with over 100% RTP and not fear being kicked out of the casino.
None of the games and advantage play methods I've discussed is perfect. They all have their pros and cons with regard to the strategy and difficulty level. But the good news is that everything covered here are at least gives you the opportunity to make money through gambling. If you've ever dreamed of being a profitable gambler, then the opportunity is there for the taking.I prefer player-vs-player games, because they have the lowest barrier to entry. You won't get booted from the casino, and you can readily find poker and DFS games online. Advantage play techniques are nice from the perspective that they offer you guaranteed profits when used correctly. You don't have to worry about beating highly skilled players.
But one major drawback is that you can also get kicked out of the casino. Additionally, it's hard to find perfect conditions for card counting or hole carding. Video poker is great from the perspective that you can win money without worrying about the casino staff breathing down your neck. The downsides, though, include that you only find +EV games in Nevada and you won't win large profits with these games. In summary, winning in gambling is far from easy. But there are multiple ways for you to accomplish this if you're motivated to do so.
Best gamble and betting games in Japan without casino
From a foreign visitor's point of view, Pachinko is known to be Japan's most popular way of gambling and substitution for casinos for the Japanese people. But did you know that there are many other 'games of chance' in Japan where you can test your luck?
When foreign visitors come to Japan, there are many things that come up to their minds. Tasty local food, history-rich sites, unique pop culture, etc… 'Gambling' may not be one of the words people usually associate with Japan, majorly because there are no casinos (yet).
Currently, there are no legal casinos in Japan because it used to be prohibited. But recently, a new law passed that allows casinos to be opened in Japan as part of Integrated Resorts. This is a big project that will take time and it is estimated that casinos will start opening in Japan sometime around 2025.
Here, I will introduce to you some of the different types of Gambling that the Japanese like to do. Some might be a little difficult for foreign visitors to experience, but others are not that difficult and might add a little something to your visit to Japan.
We are not recommending or encouraging gambling in its self, but we are rather presenting you to see these as an unusual options for you to experience and therefore, enrich your visit to Japan.
1. Pachinko/ Slot
You might have seen Pachinko (パチンコ) in Japanese movies, anime, or documentaries. It is like a combination of a pinball machine and a slot machine and is actually not considered to be gambling. It is also the only entry in this list that is not regulated by the government, making it unique amongst the rest.
Usually, Pachinko parlors also have slot machines. These parlors are called 'Pachislot'. These parlors are usually huge, loud, and brightly lighted buildings. They are easy to spot in the city.
Pachislot is overwhelmingly the most popular 'game of chance' played in Japan, accounting for approximately 40% of the entertainment section of Japanese leisure. What makes Pachinko so popular in comparison with other gambling games?
The main reason is that most people who go to Pachinko don't do it hoping to win some extra money. Most people go to de-stress themselves from work or school. Being in an environment where all you can hear are the loud pinball sounds and the catchy melodies produced by the machines while facing the machine by yourself can become liberating.
So, as you can see Pachinko is much more than just a gambling game. There is a deeper cultural and historical factor that makes it as popular as it is.
But if you want to have a taste of the Pachinko experience, it might be difficult to just walk into a Pachislot parlor and ask, since employees are not used to attending English speaking customers. So we highly recommend you to take the following tour that will not only teach you how to Pachinko, but you will also learn about the culture and history behind this fascinating game.
※To enter a Pachislot parlor, you have to be over 18 years old and graduated from high school.
▽Check the link below to book a Pachinko experience tour in Tokyo!▽
2. Keiba (Horse Racing)
Horse racing is known in Japan as 'Keiba'(競馬), and it is the second most popular 'game of chance', coming after Pachinko. Since Pachinko is technically not gambling, this makes Keiba the most popular gambling game in Japan.
Most Keiba events are operated by the JRA (Japan Racing Association) which is an entity controlled by the government. Non-JRA races are run by local governments, but information for these races can be difficult to access, so if you are interested in going to watch a race, we'd recommend that you look for events held at JRA tracks.
There are 10 tracks operated by the JRA across the country and races are held every weekend in some of these tracks. You can go directly to one of these venues to place your bet and watch the race, or you can go to one of the many 'WINS ' which are off-track betting facilities run by JRA.
As opposed to Pachinko, Keiba attracts the hard-core gamblers, so going to the racing venues or betting facilities and feeling the passionate atmosphere is quite the experience.
※There's no age restriction to go watch a horse race at the venue, but to place a bet you need to be over 20 years old.
3. Keirin (Bicycle Racing)
The next gambling game in our list is'Keirin' (競輪). Keirin, which is bicycle racing, is the next big betting game in Japan. Although not as big as Keiba, there is a sizeable devoted fan base.
Keirin began in Kitakyushu shortly after World war II ended, and it involves a group of 9 cyclists (plus a pacer) doing several laps around a velodrome. It was first developed solely for gambling purposes, but now it is also popular for its athletic competitive side.
Keirin competitions are organized by the JKA (Japan Keirin Auto-race Foundation), and these competitions are held all across the country (There are tracks in almost all prefectures). Keiba likewise, you can go directly to the competition venue to place your bet and watch the race, or you can also go to one of the many off-track betting facilities.
The interesting thing about Keirin is that there are 2 aspects to it. There is the gambling aspect which is why I'm writing about this in this article. But then there is also the sporting aspect. There are around 2,300 registered cyclists who are professional athletes, some of them who will qualify for the Olympic games.
※There's no age restriction to go watch Keirin at the venue, but to place a bet you need to be over 20 years old.
4. Auto Racing
Auto racing (オートレース) is very similar to Keirin in many aspects, but the races are done with motorcycles as opposed to bicycles. It was created for gambling purposes and the first race was held in 1950.
All Auto racing competitions are run by the JKA just like Keirin. Usually, 8 motorcycles compete in each race by doing 6 to 10 laps (depending on the type of race) around a 500m velodrome. 12 races are held during a day, and competitions take about 3 to 5 days. The motorcycles are 599cc and have a two-speed gearbox.
There are 5 official tracks across the country, which are Kawaguchi (Saitama prefecture), Isesaki (Gunma prefecture), Hamamatsu (Shizuoka prefecture), Sanyo-Onoda (Yamaguchi prefecture), and Iizuka (Fukuoka prefecture).
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To place your bets and gamble, you can either go directly to the racing venue or go to an off-track betting facility. Off-track betting facilities are the same as the ones for Keirin.
※There's no age restriction to go watch Auto Racing at the venue, but to place a bet you need to be over 20 years old.
Hole carding is another advantage play technique that you can employ in blackjack. This strategy revolves around trying to see the dealer's face-down card (a.k.a. hole card) when they peek for a natural blackjack. As you may know, the dealer peeks for a blackjack when their upcard is either an ace or a 10-value card. The round ends if they have a natural, and anybody without a natural automatically loses.
Under optimal conditions with a dealer that consistently shows their hole card, you'll have anywhere between an 11% and 13% advantage. The biggest obstacle to hole carding is that there aren't many dealers who'll actually reveal their value when checking for blackjack. Chances are that you'll have to sit at 100 or more blackjack tables before you find a really bad dealer.
You also need to sit in the correct seat to spot the dealer's hole card. First base (seat to croupier's immediate left) is best when there's a right-handed dealer, and third base (seat to croupier's immediate right) is best when there's a left-handed dealer.
Video poker is the only house-banked casino game that offers you a long-term advantage. Unlike hole carding and card counting, you can sit at a video poker game for as long as you want and take advantage of profits. The first step to being a video poker winner involves knowing which variations actually provide an advantage. Here are the three most-common variants that will deliver long-term profits:
You may be disappointed to find out that there are no casinos outside of Nevada offering any video poker games with positive expected value (+EV). Moreover, the largest selection of beatable machines are found in Las Vegas. Assuming you have access to Nevada casinos – either through living in the area or visiting – then you want to practice for the games you'll be playing. After all, you need to use correct strategy to take advantage of +EV situations.
Also note that being an advantage video poker player is a volatile pursuit. You'll only get a royal flush on 1 out of 40,000 hands on average, meaning that you'll need to play numerous hands before realizing +EV. But as I mentioned before, the great thing about video poker is that you can play games with over 100% RTP and not fear being kicked out of the casino.
None of the games and advantage play methods I've discussed is perfect. They all have their pros and cons with regard to the strategy and difficulty level. But the good news is that everything covered here are at least gives you the opportunity to make money through gambling. If you've ever dreamed of being a profitable gambler, then the opportunity is there for the taking.I prefer player-vs-player games, because they have the lowest barrier to entry. You won't get booted from the casino, and you can readily find poker and DFS games online. Advantage play techniques are nice from the perspective that they offer you guaranteed profits when used correctly. You don't have to worry about beating highly skilled players.
But one major drawback is that you can also get kicked out of the casino. Additionally, it's hard to find perfect conditions for card counting or hole carding. Video poker is great from the perspective that you can win money without worrying about the casino staff breathing down your neck. The downsides, though, include that you only find +EV games in Nevada and you won't win large profits with these games. In summary, winning in gambling is far from easy. But there are multiple ways for you to accomplish this if you're motivated to do so.
Best gamble and betting games in Japan without casino
From a foreign visitor's point of view, Pachinko is known to be Japan's most popular way of gambling and substitution for casinos for the Japanese people. But did you know that there are many other 'games of chance' in Japan where you can test your luck?
When foreign visitors come to Japan, there are many things that come up to their minds. Tasty local food, history-rich sites, unique pop culture, etc… 'Gambling' may not be one of the words people usually associate with Japan, majorly because there are no casinos (yet).
Currently, there are no legal casinos in Japan because it used to be prohibited. But recently, a new law passed that allows casinos to be opened in Japan as part of Integrated Resorts. This is a big project that will take time and it is estimated that casinos will start opening in Japan sometime around 2025.
Here, I will introduce to you some of the different types of Gambling that the Japanese like to do. Some might be a little difficult for foreign visitors to experience, but others are not that difficult and might add a little something to your visit to Japan.
We are not recommending or encouraging gambling in its self, but we are rather presenting you to see these as an unusual options for you to experience and therefore, enrich your visit to Japan.
1. Pachinko/ Slot
You might have seen Pachinko (パチンコ) in Japanese movies, anime, or documentaries. It is like a combination of a pinball machine and a slot machine and is actually not considered to be gambling. It is also the only entry in this list that is not regulated by the government, making it unique amongst the rest.
Usually, Pachinko parlors also have slot machines. These parlors are called 'Pachislot'. These parlors are usually huge, loud, and brightly lighted buildings. They are easy to spot in the city.
Pachislot is overwhelmingly the most popular 'game of chance' played in Japan, accounting for approximately 40% of the entertainment section of Japanese leisure. What makes Pachinko so popular in comparison with other gambling games?
The main reason is that most people who go to Pachinko don't do it hoping to win some extra money. Most people go to de-stress themselves from work or school. Being in an environment where all you can hear are the loud pinball sounds and the catchy melodies produced by the machines while facing the machine by yourself can become liberating.
So, as you can see Pachinko is much more than just a gambling game. There is a deeper cultural and historical factor that makes it as popular as it is.
But if you want to have a taste of the Pachinko experience, it might be difficult to just walk into a Pachislot parlor and ask, since employees are not used to attending English speaking customers. So we highly recommend you to take the following tour that will not only teach you how to Pachinko, but you will also learn about the culture and history behind this fascinating game.
※To enter a Pachislot parlor, you have to be over 18 years old and graduated from high school.
▽Check the link below to book a Pachinko experience tour in Tokyo!▽
2. Keiba (Horse Racing)
Horse racing is known in Japan as 'Keiba'(競馬), and it is the second most popular 'game of chance', coming after Pachinko. Since Pachinko is technically not gambling, this makes Keiba the most popular gambling game in Japan.
Most Keiba events are operated by the JRA (Japan Racing Association) which is an entity controlled by the government. Non-JRA races are run by local governments, but information for these races can be difficult to access, so if you are interested in going to watch a race, we'd recommend that you look for events held at JRA tracks.
There are 10 tracks operated by the JRA across the country and races are held every weekend in some of these tracks. You can go directly to one of these venues to place your bet and watch the race, or you can go to one of the many 'WINS ' which are off-track betting facilities run by JRA.
As opposed to Pachinko, Keiba attracts the hard-core gamblers, so going to the racing venues or betting facilities and feeling the passionate atmosphere is quite the experience.
※There's no age restriction to go watch a horse race at the venue, but to place a bet you need to be over 20 years old.
3. Keirin (Bicycle Racing)
The next gambling game in our list is'Keirin' (競輪). Keirin, which is bicycle racing, is the next big betting game in Japan. Although not as big as Keiba, there is a sizeable devoted fan base.
Keirin began in Kitakyushu shortly after World war II ended, and it involves a group of 9 cyclists (plus a pacer) doing several laps around a velodrome. It was first developed solely for gambling purposes, but now it is also popular for its athletic competitive side.
Keirin competitions are organized by the JKA (Japan Keirin Auto-race Foundation), and these competitions are held all across the country (There are tracks in almost all prefectures). Keiba likewise, you can go directly to the competition venue to place your bet and watch the race, or you can also go to one of the many off-track betting facilities.
The interesting thing about Keirin is that there are 2 aspects to it. There is the gambling aspect which is why I'm writing about this in this article. But then there is also the sporting aspect. There are around 2,300 registered cyclists who are professional athletes, some of them who will qualify for the Olympic games.
※There's no age restriction to go watch Keirin at the venue, but to place a bet you need to be over 20 years old.
4. Auto Racing
Auto racing (オートレース) is very similar to Keirin in many aspects, but the races are done with motorcycles as opposed to bicycles. It was created for gambling purposes and the first race was held in 1950.
All Auto racing competitions are run by the JKA just like Keirin. Usually, 8 motorcycles compete in each race by doing 6 to 10 laps (depending on the type of race) around a 500m velodrome. 12 races are held during a day, and competitions take about 3 to 5 days. The motorcycles are 599cc and have a two-speed gearbox.
There are 5 official tracks across the country, which are Kawaguchi (Saitama prefecture), Isesaki (Gunma prefecture), Hamamatsu (Shizuoka prefecture), Sanyo-Onoda (Yamaguchi prefecture), and Iizuka (Fukuoka prefecture).
To place your bets and gamble, you can either go directly to the racing venue or go to an off-track betting facility. Off-track betting facilities are the same as the ones for Keirin.
※There's no age restriction to go watch Auto Racing at the venue, but to place a bet you need to be over 20 years old.
5. Kyotei (Boat Race)
Kyotei (競艇), or 'BOAT RACE', was introduced from the US and events started taking place since 1952. It was first created not only for gambling purposes but also to promote and hopefully boost the ship-related industries.
The races consist of Hydroplane motorboats racing around a 600m oval boat course. Racers are assigned a boat at random on race day. Races are composed of 6 boats and are usually 3 laps long. A race usually takes around 2 minutes.
Kyotei stadiums are constructed near lakes, rivers, or the sea. The racing area is a man-made lake 33,000㎡ or larger. There are 24 official venues across the country.
The betting system is very similar to that of Keiba, Keirin, and Auto Race. You can go directly to the race venue to place your bet, or you can also go to an off-track betting facility.
※There's no age restriction to go watch Kyotei at the venue, but to place a bet and gamble, you need to be over 20 years old.
6. Takarakuji (Lottery)
Next on the list, we have the Japanese lottery. In Japan, it is called 'Takarakuji' and there are various types of it. Out of all the gambling games on this list, this is the easiest one to play.
The simplest type is the Scratch cards (スクラッチくじ). These come in different forms, but the rules are pretty much the same as in other countries. You can find these at any lottery stand or booth across the country.
Then there's the type of lottery where you pick several numbers, and you can win by getting all the numbers (or some of the numbers) correctly. For this type of lottery, there is the 'Bingo 5', 'Loto 7', 'Loto 6', 'Mini Loto', 'Numbers 3', and 'Number 4'. Loto 6 and Loto 7 are especially popular.
Also, there is the regular-type of lottery where the numbers are already marked in the ticket.
And lastly, there is the Jumbo Takarakuji, which is a special lottery that is held 5 times annually. These 5 special lotteries are The Valentine Jumbo, The Dream Jumbo, The Summer Jumbo, The Halloween Jumbo, and the End-of-year Jumbo.
When it comes to purchasing lottery tickets, you can do it directly at the designated lottery booths. These are found near most large train stations and in front of department stores. It is also possible to purchase tickets via the lottery's official website.
Some people may not consider the lottery as being a gambling game because it is so common around the world, and maybe because of this, the Japanese lottery is becoming more and more popular among foreign visitors.
※There's no age restriction to play the lottery, but some booths have a sign saying that they won't sell to people 17 years old and under.
7. Toto – J-League Soccer Pools
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'Toto' is the last gambling game on our list. Toto consists of betting on J-League (Japanese Professional Soccer League) games.
There are 3 types of Toto which are; the 'regular Toto' (predict the result for all 13 games), the 'mini Toto' (predict the result of 5 games), and the 'Toto Goal 3' (predict the result of 3 games). Tickets for any of the Toto types are sold at 100 Yen.
Tickets can be bought in designated Toto booths or convenience stores. You can also purchase tickets via their official website as well as some affiliated websites.
If you don't know much about Japanese Professional Soccer, don't worry. there is another version of Toto called 'BIG' which a computer makes the predictions for you. But since the predictions made by the computer are completely randomly decided, chances of winning are slimmer than those of someone knowing about soccer placing a bet with Toto.
By the way, there is a Japanese toilet company with the same name, but there is no relation between these two entities.
※To buy a Toto ticket, you need to be 19 years old or older.
Hope you enjoyed this list. There are other types of gambling games besides the ones on this list. But these 7 that we are introducing are the main, popular, and (most importantly) legal ones.
Again, we are not endorsing the act of gambling. But we think this is an interesting part of Japanese culture that doesn't get covered very often.
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I also want to remind you to be careful when gambling. Plan ahead about how much you're willing to spend and gamble in a safe way. But other than that, have fun!
For more unconventional things to do, check these articles for ideas!
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