TLDR Japan’s gambling laws block traditional money-based prediction markets, so firms are using points and rewards instead POYP lets users forecast political, sports, and cultural events to earn coins, with no penalty for wrong guesses IGS runs a similar service called Signals, while NERO YOSO is building prediction tools into the LINE messaging app Gumi Group is studying a compliant prediction market using AI and blockchain technology Polymarket has named a Japan representative and is targeting official approval by 2030
Prediction markets let people trade opinions on future events. Elections, sports outcomes, and celebrity news can all become things people bet on.
This model has spread quickly through crypto markets worldwide. In Japan, it faces a problem.
Japanese gambling law makes it hard to run platforms where users stake real money or crypto. So companies in Japan are trying something different.
How the Points System Works
Instead of letting people bet money, some firms are turning forecasting into a rewards program. Users guess outcomes and earn points or coins when they’re right.
POYP is one example of this approach. The company blends prediction markets with a point system. Users forecast results on politics, sports, and culture.
If they’re wrong, there’s no financial cost. They simply don’t earn points.
This setup avoids the legal definition of gambling. No money changes hands, so operators argue it functions more like an engagement app than a betting platform.
Other companies are testing similar models. IGS runs a service called Signals that works the same way.
NERO YOSO is taking a different route. The company is building prediction features directly into LINE, a messaging app used by millions of people across Japan every day.
Bigger Companies Are Watching
Interest isn’t limited to small startups anymore. Gumi Group, a gaming company, said in