The Top 10 Gambling Manga for 2024

Nowadays, the internet provides endless ways of entertainment from the comfort of your home, such as online slots or live dealer tables. But today, we are going to tell you about our top 10 gambling manga list. We have included some all-time classics titles as well as some recent manga about gambling. Each of the storylines is unique, and every main character has exceptional gambling skills.

Manga 101 – The Basics

The term manga means whimsical pictures, and it is often referred to Japanese comic books or graphic novels. This art style originated in the late 19th century in the land of the rising sun. First, manga stories were printed in black and white, however, you could find colourful manga as well.

Japanese would use manga to describe comics, cartoons and animation. But, anywhere else, people would use the term to refer to comics. This comic book style is beloved by children and grown-ups alike all around the globe. Among the popular genres are adventure, comedy, drama, historical, Sci-Fri, fantasy, romance, and erotica.

Manga is often mistaken with anime. That may be because a large portion of anime series is based on manga. In Japanese, anime stands for animation. But the rest of the world refers to Japanese-style animation as anime. Without further ado, let’s dive into the world of best gambling manga.

1. Kaiji

Genre Gambling, Action Fiction, Thriller
Written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto
Released February 19, 1996
Volumes 73 (and counting)

First in our best gambling manga ranking with Kaiji by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. This popular Japanese manga is focused on the art of gambling and quickly captured the hearts of many. First published in Feb 1996, the story is separated into six parts, and it is named after the main character. Due to its popularity, movie and anime adaptations were released. Just as we released a well-written, dedicated article on the top online roulette bonus offers for UK players.

Kaiji is a young man who fails to land a job. Instead of working, he spends his time on pranks, gambling, liquor, cigarettes and ends up with tons of debts. But everything changes with an invite to a high-stakes game from the loan shark, Endo.

2. Akagi: The Genius Who Descended into Darkness

Genre Gambling, Mahjong
Written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto
Released June 1, 1991
Volumes 36

Next is Akagi: The Genius Who Descended into Darkness written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. Originally published in 1991, the author based this manga on his previous work – Ten. Twelve million copies of the comics were sold, then movie and anime adaptations followed. Also, the story inspired the creation of companion books, spin-off manga and video games.

A boy called Shigeru Akagi is the main character in this manga. It all starts when he wins at Mahjong (a tile-based game) against yakuza members. At that point, the boy does not know the first thing about the game but defeats his opponents only with the help of his intuition.

3. Kakegurui

Genre Gambling
Written by Homura Kawamoto
Released March 22, 2014
Volumes 13

Moving forward, we have the popular gambling manga series Kakegurui by Homura Kawamoto. The first volume was published in 2014 and it took many by a storm, quickly gaining a loyal audience worldwide. Shortly after the manga release, an anime and action movie adaptations were created.

The main character, Yumeko Jabami, is transferred at Hyakkaou Private Academy where children of the richest families in the country study. Shortly after her arrival, Yumeko changes the social dynamics at the school. She is a stunning, cheerful and intelligent girl but also a compulsive gambler. However, unlike her peers, Yumeko gambles purely for fun.

4. Gamble Fish

Genre Gambling, Harem, Psychological
Written by Aoyama Hiromi
Released June 8, 2007
Volumes 15

Gamble Fish is at number 4, in our top 10 gambling manga list. Originally published in 2007, the story was written by Aoyama Hiromi. Everything is taking place in a private school attended by rich children. The main character is Tomu Shirasagi, who happens to be the teenage son of the popular swindler, Yumeichirou Shirasagi.

At first, the rest of the students, mostly the boys, are giving Tom Shirasagi a hard time because he previously attended a public school. However, things quickly change after the mysterious boy reveals that he is a crazy gambler. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the dark side of the school and Tom’s past.

5. Liar Game

Genre Gambling, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Written by Shinobu Kaitani
Released February 17, 2005
Volumes 19

Halfway through our top 10 list, at fifth place, we have Liar Game. It is not only written by Shinobu Kaitani but also illustrated by the artist. The popular manga was first published in 2005, then the story quickly gained fame, and it was turned into a TV series and live-action movies.

Everything starts when Nao Kanzaki, an honest college girl, receives $1 million in a mysterious package. Also, to the insane sum of money, there is a note saying that Nao is a contestant in the Liar Game tournament. But the money gets stolen, that is when she meets her soon-to-be-partner Shinichi Akiyama.

6. Legendary Gambler Tetsuya

Genre Gambling
Written by Fūmei Sai
Released July 30, 1997
Volumes 41

Moving forward in our ranking of manga about gambling, we have Legendary Gambler Tetsuya by Fūmei Sai. The story was first published in 1997, and in 2000 anime adaptation was released. During the same year, 2000, Legendary Gambler Tetsuya won the Kodansha Manga Award for the teen male audience.

The story is taking place during the post WWII period in Shinjuku. Survivors struggle to put food on the table, some have turned to gambling to earn some hard cash. While travelling, Tetsuya goes from one parlour to another winning against mahjong players. But then, he finds his the highly skilled player Boushu-san.

7. Gin to Kin

Genre Gambling, Drama
Written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto
Released 1992
Volumes 11

At lucky #7, we have Gin to Kin written and illustrated by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. The manga was first released in 1992. Only recently, in 2017, a live-action adaptation series appeared. Then, Amazon Prime added Gin to Kin to its collection, and it can be found under the name Silver and Gold (lit. translation from Japanese).

Failing to succeed in the real world, Morita Tetsuo decides to test his luck and starts gambling. However, it all changes when he meets the main character – Hirai Ginji, a devilish fixer in the underworld that goes by Gin. Morita Tetsuo gets pulled by Hirai Ginji into the dark world of shady backroom deals with greedy politicians.

8. Usogui

Genre Gambling, Psychological, Seinen
Written by Toshio Sako
Released May 11, 2006
Volumes 49

Usogui by Toshio Sako is the next story in our best gambling manga list. The title is translated to ‘the lie eater’. The manga was first released in 2006. Later, in 2012, the story was adapted into an original video animation. Baku Madarame is the usogui and main character.

This super-smart gambler is willing to bet his own life. Games allowing players to do that are Escape the Abandoned Building, Old Maid and Hangman. Kakerou is a powerful organisation that monitors the players and controls such tournaments. In the story, Baku is caught in the middle of the war between Kakerou and their rival IDEAL.

9. Psychic Gambler: Betting Man

Genre Gambling, Mature
Written by Doldom
Released April 22, 2016
Volumes 68

Here, we have Psychic Gambler: Betting Man written by Doldom. The manga was originally published a few years back in 2016, and it tells the story of Jin-goo – a man that can see through objects. At first, he uses his power to seduce women. After that, the character chooses to take advantage of his power when gambling.

This decision makes Jin-goo ecstatic because he is certain that seeing through objects will help him defeat whoever plays against him. Unfortunately for our guy, things go down the drain fast as there is more to his opponents than what he sees at first glance. Beware that this comic book is full of betrayal, heartbreak and explicit content.

10. One Outs

Genre Sports, Psychological, Seinen
Written by Shinobu Kaitani
Released November 14, 1998
Volumes 19

At #10, we have One Outs which was written by and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani. One Outs is a game lot like baseball, but it is played between a pitcher and one batter. The story was originally published in 1998 and then revamped in 2008. The same year anime series was broadcasted.

The main character is Tōa Tokuchi – brilliant gambler and pitcher. The least successful team in the One Outs league is Lycaons. Tōa Tokuchi gets an offer to be a pitcher for that team. He suggests a rather unusual agreement – for each pitch Tōa wins 5m yen, but for every run, he loses 50m yen.

Final Thoughts about Gambling Manga

The world of manga is full of exciting and thrilling stories for everyone. Earlier we discussed that the art style is often mistaken with anime as most popular anime series are based on manga stories. Also, we ranked the top 10 manga about gambling and presented you with a quick summary of each one. If you liked this article, then we are sure you will love our top 10 ranking of the best gambling anime series. And since most of our readers, no matter how much they enjoy manga, like to gamble, we would like to show you how to choose a roulette website in which to have an amazing gambling experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

We sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this piece as much as we did writing it. However, in case you have any questions on the matter, then you are in luck because we prepared this FAQ section. Here, we will provide you with answers to the most popular queries about the top gambling manga.

🔝 What are the top 10 best gambling manga?

In this piece, we provided you with a summary of each of the top 10 best gambling manga. Here is the full list: Kaiji, Akagi, Kakegurui, Gamble Fish, Liar Game, Legendary Gambler Tetsuya, Gin to Kin, Usogui, Psychic Gambler: Betting Man and One Outs.

🏆 What is the best gambling manga in 2024?

The best gambling manga in 2024 is Kaiji by legendary author and artist Nobuyuki Fukumoto. The main character, Kaiji, is a young man that gambles, pulls pranks, drinks and has a lot of debt. It all changes when he meets the loan shark, Endo, who invites him to a high-stake game.

🥇 Why is Yumeko so good at gambling, in the gambling manga Kakegurui?

Yumeko is different from the rest of the children in the prestigious high school because she is a compulsive gambler. She loves making crazy bets, and that pushes her to her limits. The story shows Yumeko take some great loses, but she always rises from the ashes, that's what makes her good player in the gambling manga Kakegurui.

🛑 Is the manga about gambling, Kaiji, over?

The manga about gambling, Kaiji, was released in Feb 1996 and it continues to be published to this day. However, the anime series Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor (2007-2008) and Kaiji: Against All Rules (2011) have been discontinued. On the bright side, there is a live-action trilogy based on the story, and the last movie was released in Jan 2020.

🎬 What does usogui mean in the gambling manga?

The popular gambling manga Usogui is written by Toshio Sako. Literally translated from Japanese, usogui means the lie eater. The manga follows the life of Baku Madarame, the usogui, who ends up being in the middle of a gang war between Kakerou and IDEAL.

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