Pachinko has been one of the most popular games in Japan for decades. In 1995 it had an estimated 30 million players. The popularity has decreased recently, and twenty years later the figure is thought to be around 10 million. The growing popularity of videogames and an ageing group of players are thought to be some of the reasons behind the decline. Teenagers and young adults are more likely to play console platform games and online casino, rather than pachinko.
Another reason is thought to be the fact that coins are being used in the classic game machines. With Japan striving to become a cashless economy, this will not help either. This leads to the thoughts that the future of pachinko is most likely to be online. With many different and simple payments options available for online play, the games are likely to move from giant gaming halls to people´s living rooms over the next decade.
The development of Pachinko
However, there are some question marks about how well pachinko will adapt to the online world. With casino sites offering fun games for nothing with free spins no deposit required, many people may not keep on playing static games such as pachinko anymore. Another question raised is whether is will be included in a regulated and licensed gaming market. The pinball type of games is just in between arcade games and gambling, which means a licensed gaming market may or may not include it.
With licensed land-based casinos thought to open up in 2023, together with online licensed, there is still time to include pachinko into an online gambling regulation. With an estimated 3,2 million gambling addict in Japan, there are definitely people raising questions about how to legalize gambling. But on the other hand, this will most probably add to a safer gambling environment for Japanese players. Follow all the latest developments about online gambling here on Casino Experts.