Japan's pachinko industry braces for anti-addiction regulation

Visitors play pachinko, a Japanese form of legal gambling, at a pachinko parlour in Fukushima, Japan, May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Issei Kato

(Reuters) - Like many Japanese pachinko parlours, Naomi Suzuki's shop on the outskirts of Fukushima City was once full of energy, with the din of bouncing steel balls and garish lights flashing to indicate winnings.

But business is quieter for her these days as her parlour's clientele ages and drifts away. And with new restrictions on the game this year, she and her industry are bracing for things to get much worse.