The announcement was “Kuruma’s arbitrary decision”… “Behind the scenes of voluntary restraint” and “future development” of the illegal online casino racket by Yoshimoto’s comedians.

Caution against “sparks

The “online casino gambling scandal” is having a major impact on the entertainment industry.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun’s first report, nearly 10 comedians belonging to Yoshimoto Kogyo, including Reiwa Roman’s Kuruma Takahira (30) and Toro Salmon’s Kazunobu Kubota (45), have reportedly been arbitrarily questioned. The news was received with not a little surprise not only by the entertainment industry but also by the mass media. A reporter from the society section of a national newspaper commented.

When the Mainichi Shimbun broke the story, it was a complete surprise to me. I heard that the investigation was triggered by information provided by an outside source. The Mainichi Newspaper’s Community Safety Section was in charge of the investigation, and they reported the story to us. We are aware that the investigation of online casinos, which have been exposed one after another since last year, and this voluntary interview are two different things.

Exposing celebrities creates a strong public awareness and significance. However, we have determined that this hearing will not develop into a major online casino case and will only be a one-off.”

After the news report, Kuruma admitted that he had been using online casinos from the end of ’19 to the end of ’20, explaining that “it is not illegal to transfer money from an overseas account and play online casinos.

From the beginning, from social networking sites and pundits,

“The statute of limitations has already expired.”

“There is no need to refrain.

The responses of all parties involved were divided. NTV, for example, explained at its regular press conference that “there is no plan to replace the program at this time (January 17). On the other hand, Fuji Television, TV Asahi, and radio stations suspended the performances of the named comedians. Kuruma has also been absent from theaters and events.

According to a Yoshimoto Kogyo official,

“Internal investigations into the comedians involved have already been conducted several times and reports have been made to various parties,” according to a Yoshimoto Kogyo official.

However, the problem has “spilled over” into other areas. However, the entertainment industry, which may be “spurred” by the issue, is taking the situation in a variety of ways.

Behind the Scenes of the “Suspension

A senior executive of an entertainment company reveals the reality of the situation.

Yoshimoto has been worrying about how to deal with comedians who have been interviewed voluntarily. Many of them have already passed the statute of limitations and are only being interviewed on a voluntary basis. Normally, there is no need for them to refrain from performing.

In particular, Mr. Takahira has been singled out as a culprit, as some have said that he was the least involved as a result of the internal interviews. Yoshimoto’s decision was also attracting a lot of attention as a means of putting a stop to the recent trend of punishing anything and everything that looks suspicious.

On the 19th, Kuruma updated his SNS. Admitting the fact that he had used an online casino, he announced, “In order to take this matter seriously and make it an opportunity for self-discipline, I have decided to refrain from entertainment activities for the time being, starting today.

However, many people involved in the situation were perplexed by the abrupt announcement. What in the world led to the decision to refrain from performing? A Yoshimoto official revealed, “The company has decided to ask him to refrain from his activities.

I heard that the company has never urged Tang to refrain from his activities. The fact that there is no notice in the official release about the self-restraint is an honest reflection of the fact that he announced the self-restraint on SNS without waiting for the company’s decision. I suspect that upper management believes that Kuruma’s self-restraint has made it difficult to decide what to do with the other comedians.

Among the experts, there was a consensus that there was no need for the comedians to refrain from performing. However, there has been a series of cancellations of appearances and replacements of broadcasts, and depending on how the situation is handled in the future, there is a possibility that the severe punishment will be accelerated even further.

How far will the aftermath of illegal gambling in the entertainment industry go?