Market Overview

In 2024, the pachinko parlor advertising market reached 839,000 million yen, marking 36,000 yen increase from the preceding year (up by 4.5%). Across five advertising categories (flyers and direct mail, online advertising, in-store displays, influencer events and featured articles, and miscellaneous channels) online advertising dominated with 287,000 million yen. This was closely followed by influencer events and featured articles at 282,000 million yen.

Online advertising includes all forms of web-based promotion—such as display ads, paid search, LINE official accounts, and pachinko fan portals—and represents 34.2% of total advertising expenditures. Driven by ongoing digitalization, the online advertising market is expected to continue expanding, with particularly strong growth anticipated for LINE ads. As advertising channels diversify, demand for identifying high-ROI media is set to increase. Going forward, more parlor operators are likely to seek advertising agencies that can deliver compelling proposals and provide hands-on support.

Influencer events and featured articles involve outsourced promotion that leverage influencers and media partners. Following the release of the second edition of the Advertising and Promotion Guideline in 2024—a voluntary guideline by four major industry associations (Zennichiyuren, Nichiyukyo, MIRAI, and Yokashin)—this category has grown to account for 33.6% of total advertising expenditures. The sector invites influencers with a strong interest in pachinko and pachislot (“actors”), often including TV celebrities, to participate in in-store events. The number of such influencers has grown to between 1,400 and 1,700. Within this category, influencer events represent the larger share, totaling 22,000 million yen. Given the proven effectiveness of this strategy in driving foot traffic to pachinko parlors, the market is projected to continue expanding in the coming years.

Noteworthy Topics

Advertising Cost Per Parlor Averaged at 1,077,000 Yen Per Month

Although advertising costs vary depending on the number of gaming machines and the region, the average advertising cost per parlor was 1,077,000 yen per month in 2024. The average cost by the number of installed gaming machine increased sharply, with parlors installing more than 901 gaming machines an exceptionally high 3,471,000 yen on average. By region, Tokai and Hokuriku areas—where large parlors are relatively common—incur higher advertising costs than parlors in other regions.

Future Outlook

Pachinko parlors are expected to continue increasing their advertising spending in 2025, led by online advertising, influencer events. and featured articles. Rising printing costs due to inflation are also expected to push the market higher, though growth is likely to moderate. The market size is estimated at 86,800 million yen in 2025 (a 3.5% increase from the previous year) and 91,800 million yen in 2027.

Research Outline