Tokyo, Japan, November 10, 2026. Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) has proposed a 30.2% reduction in administrative approval fees for pachinko and pachislot machines, lowering the fee from ¥4,340 (US$28.3) to ¥3,030 (US$19.8) under a reform published on November 5, scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027.
Public consultation began on November 6 and will close on December 5. The proposal amends Articles 14 and 29 of Cabinet Order No. 319 of 1984, implementing Act No. 122 of 1948, to streamline police inspections and reduce administrative costs. Fees for each additional machine of the same model would fall from ¥40 to ¥30 (−25%), while authorizations for modifications or replacements would decrease from ¥5,200 to ¥3,900 (−25%), maintaining technical controls and certification requirements.
Yoshinobu Kusunoki
Pachinko uses small metal balls that travel through vertical playing boards and trigger prizes. Pachislot features reels similar to slot machines. Both operate through prize-exchange systems and represent a predominantly Japanese industry.
Toshio Ogura
According to official statistics published in April, Japan ended 2025 with 6,464 gaming halls (−3.6%) and 3,234,357 machines (−2.8%), comprising 1,872,041 pachinko machines (−5%) and 1,362,177 pachislot machines (+0.5%). The market reached approximately ¥16.2 trillion in 2024, with 6.9 million players. The NPA, headed by Yoshinobu Kusunoki, has Yoshitaka Yamada leading its Community Safety Bureau and Keisuke Hosaka overseeing amusement business regulation. Prefectural public safety commissions handle approval procedures.
The reform affects manufacturers such as SANKYO, led by President and CEO Toshio Ogura, which sold 251,634 pachinko machines during its fiscal year ended March 2026, and Sega Sammy Holdings, headed by Haruki Satomi, whose pachinko and pachislot business generated ¥132 billion. Operators such as Maruhan and Dynam could benefit from lower installation and replacement costs. The fees are administrative charges, not taxes on wagers, prizes, or winnings.
