Pachinko: Existence and evolution in a non-gambling society

Abstract

Pachinko has been a popular form of entertainment in Japan for a long time and has played a big role in people’s daily lives. This thesis will look at the history of pachinko, from its origin in the 1920s until modern times, and its development throughout the years with the goal of explaining its popularity in Japanese society. An introduction to the gameplay will be presented as well as speculation on the demographic of players. Special attention will be on the game’s position within Japanese gambling laws, how or if they apply to pachinko and the addictive elements within pachinko will be discussed. Gambling disorders derived from playing pachinko, who is most likely to suffer from them, and what sort of help is available will be touched upon with player experience taken into consideration. Long standing industry connections to the yakuza, potential police corruption and fraud will also be explored to try to explain the way pachinko has managed to stay on the right side of the laws officially, despite controversial discussions surrounding its legality. Finally, a comparison will be made between pachinko and other large, Japanese entertainment ventures, from the perspective of marketability to foreign countries.