Japanese Judge Admits Online Gambling Charges At Impeachment Trial
A Japanese judge facing removal from the bench has admitted online casino gambling charges at the first hearing of his impeachment trial in Tokyo. Akifumi Morimoto, 52, of the Niigata Summary Court, told the Judge Impeachment Court on October 28, 2026 that the charges against him were correct, Jiji Press reported via Nippon.com.
The hearing is the final stage in a case that began with an indictment in April. The judge is accused of habitual gambling on a casino website and of embezzling housing-complex fees. The impeachment court will decide whether he keeps his post, and the date of its ruling has yet to be set.
What The Judge Told The Court
Morimoto said he was deeply sorry for damaging public trust in the judicial system through what he called foolish conduct. The Judge Indictment Committee, which acts as the prosecutor in impeachment cases, told the court he began gambling at online casinos to raise money for foreign exchange margin trading. It said he placed more than 60,000 bets over six months, including during working hours.
Because he did not contest the charges, the hearing was over in a single day. Jiji Press has also reported that the Indictment Committee considers dismissal the appropriate outcome.
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How The Case Reached Impeachment
Morimoto was indicted without arrest by the Akita District Public Prosecutors Office on April 17. Prosecutors said he accessed an online casino site more than 60,000 times from his smartphone and tablet between April and September 2023, while living in Akita Prefecture, and played games including baccarat. On May 13 Japan's Supreme Court asked the parliamentary indictment committee to petition for his dismissal, saying his conduct amounted to behaviour that undermined the dignity of judges, The Japan Times reported.
He was also charged with embezzling about 2.78 million yen in fees collected by a management association for a public-employee housing complex, covering 2023 to 2025. At the Akita District Court in June he admitted the charges and prosecutors asked for a three-year prison term.
In July the court gave him a suspended prison sentence for habitual gambling and other offenses. That conviction became final, which opened the way for the impeachment trial.
Why It Matters For Online Gambling In Japan
Online casino play remains illegal in Japan, and these prosecutions show that individual players can face criminal charges for using offshore sites. The Morimoto case is the highest-profile example so far because it involves a sitting judge. It follows the September 2025 prosecution of a former Fuji Television manager who admitted habitual online gambling at his first hearing in Tokyo, where prosecutors asked for a one-year sentence.
For players elsewhere the contrast is clear. People in markets that license online casinos can use operators that are checked by a regulator and bound by player protection rules. Anyone worried about their own gambling can find support through national helplines and the self-exclusion tools offered by licensed operators.
The Judge Impeachment Court will schedule a verdict at a later date. Morimoto remains suspended from his duties while the court considers its decision, and the ruling is the only step left in the case.
