Top 7 Gambling Manga That'll Keep You on the Edge

Manga has been around for decades, telling tales across every theme imaginable—from heartwarming slice-of-life stories to epic sci-fi moments. But one genre has quietly shuffled its way to the top: gambling. With high-stakes drama, big-brain mind games, and characters willing to risk it all, the gambling manga genre has become a fan-favorite for readers and players around the world.

Whether you're into blackjack, online slots, or prefer sports bets, you'll definitely appreciate the strategy, risk, and raw tension that fuels these iconic manga series.

Let's deal in—here are the seven best gambling manga of all time, and in true casino fashion, seven's your lucky number.

Disclaimer: Whether you're betting in real life or living it through these manga, always play responsibly. Know your limits and keep it fun. If you or someone you know needs help, contact our customer support team for additional guidance.

Best Gambling Manga Of All Time

1. Kaiji
2. Kakeguri
3. Akagi
4. Liar Game
5. One Outs
6. The Legendary Gambler Tetsuya
7. Gamble Fish

1. Kaiji by Nobuyuki Fukumoto

• Published: 1996 - Present
• Genres: Thriller, Psychological, Action, Gambling
• Volumes: 90+ (across all arcs)
• Chapters: 500+ total

You can't talk about gambling manga without mentioning the GOAT, Kaiji. This elite manga's story centers around Kaiji Itou as the main character, a down-on-his luck guy who accidentally gets roped into brutal underground tournaments to pay off his crushing debt—nearly 4 million yen.

From rigged rock-paper-scissors to electric bridge walks, Kaiji is full of high-stakes gambling matches where lives are at risk instead of money. If you're looking for a portrayal of what humans will do to survive, this is the perfect read. It balances mind games and deceit with a powerful exploration of wealth, poverty, and desperation. Kaiji has also been adapted into several anime series (available on Crunchyroll) and a trilogy of live-action movies: Kaiji (2009), Kaiji 2 (2011), Kaiji: Final Game (2020).

2. Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler by Homura Kawamoto

• Published: 2014 - Present
• Genres: Psychological, School, Thriller, Gambling
• Volumes: 18
• Chapters: 100+

Welcome to the prestigious Hyakkaou Private Academy, a school built for the elite. Here, these students don't climb the social ladder through academics, athletics, or personality—they gamble. Money, status, and even people themselves are on the table.

The games in Kakegurui range from traditional poker to rock-paper-scissors to the truly insane (yes, even Russian Roulette). Winners rise in prestige and popularity. Losers become collar-wearing slaves, aka "Pets", forced to live by "Life Schedules" that dictate their futures. Sounds pretty dystopian, right?

Enter Yumeko Jabami, an unhinged transfer student who doesn't care about winning or losing—she only lives for the thrill of the gamble. Uninhibited and ultra-perceptive, she tears through the school's hierarchy with style.

Overall, Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler deep dives into addiction, strategy, and status games, all wrapped up into a beautifully drawn aesthetic with a cast of unique characters and intense situations. It's also been turned into one of the best gambling anime series' of all time of the same name.

3. Akagi by Nobuyuki Fukomoto

• Published: 1991 - 2018
• Genres: Mahjong, Psychological, Gambling
• Volumes: 36
• Chapters: 306

Mahjong parlors are traditionally associated with family and friends, with a peaceful and calm atmosphere—but not in Akagi. This gambling manga series flips this idea on its head, showing the dark side of the game and how it can thrive in the underground world of gangsters and high-stakes risk.

Shigeru Akagi is a mysterious teen who stumbles into a yakuza-run mahjong game while fleeing the police. Despite knowing nothing about the game initially, he dominates the table, wiping the floor clear with professionals and cheaters alike. By the age of thirteen, he was already a legend in the gambling world.

Akagi focuses primarily on mahjong, but turns every match into a psychological war. It follows Akagi's growth from a prodigy to a mythical figure. This manga series has since been adapted into a 26-episode long anime series titled: Tōhai Densetsu Akagi: Yami ni Maiorita Tensai (2005 to 2006), and a live-action series. A spin-off, Yami-ma no Mamiya, is currently ongoing.

4. Liar Game by Kaitani Shinobu

• Published: 2005 - 2015
• Genres: Drama, Psychological, Gambling, Thriller
• Volumes: 19
• Chapters: 203

What would you do if a mysterious package with 100 million yen showed up on your door? For Nao Kanzaki, that question comes a reality. She's invited to compete in the Liar Game, a series of psychological battles where players must lie, manipulate, and betray their way to massive winnings. Losers are saddled with crushing debt.

The problem? Nao is painfully honest and good, making her completely outmatched. But after enlisting the help of cold, calculating ex-con Shinichi Akiyama, she starts to fight back. Together, they face increasingly complex games designed to break the human psyche.

Overall, Liar Game is an introspection on the human condition, incorporating real-life situations into high-stakes games where you can argue there is no real winner.

5. One Outs by Shinobu Kaitani

• Published: 1998 - 2006
• Genres: Sports, Drama, Psychological, Gambling
• Volumes: 20 (across all arcs)
• Chapters: 192

The One Outs manga series combines sports with high-stakes gambling in a way that somehow works. One Out is the name given to a stripped down game of baseball between a batter and pitcher, where every throw is a wager.

The story follows Toua Tokuchi, an expert gambler who appears to have no special baseball pitching skills but somehow has an unbeatable record of 499-0. When pro baseball star Hiromichi Kojima challenges him and loses, he recruits Tokuchi to join the Saitama Lycaons in his last-ditch attempt to propel the weakest team in the Japanese league to the top—the championships. Tokuchi agrees, under one condition. An unusual contract that earns him 5 million yen per out, and costs him 50 million per run allowed.

What follows in One Outs is a battle of brains, not brawn—Tokuchi outwits greedy team owners, corrupt managers, and opponents who'll do anything to break him. Every game is a con job, and Tokuchi is always five steps ahead.

6. The Legendary Gambler Tetsuya by Femei Sai and Yasushi Hoshino

• Published: 1997 - 2005
• Genres: Historical, Drama, Gambling
• Volumes: 41
• Chapters: 390

Set in post-WWII Japan, the people of Shinjuku are down on their luck. With little money to buy food or necessities, some resort to gambling to survive. Enter Tetsuya Asada, a young man who turns to underground gambling to survive the economic wreckage.

The story starts off with slow-burn mahjong games, evolving into a gritty gambling series that analyzes what it takes to win when the odds are stacked against you. Tetsuya proves he isn't afraid to play dirty, as long as it means survival.

The Legendary Gambler Tetsuya trades the dramatic spectacle for street-level realism, where every win feels earned. It perfectly captures the atmosphere of postwar Japan where gambling wasn't just for entertainment—it was a lifeline.

7. Gamble Fish by Aoyama Hiromi & Yamne Kazutoshi

• Published: 2007 - 2010
• Genres: Shounen, Action, Gambling, School
• Volumes: 19
• Chapters: 169

At the prestigious school Shishidou Academy, status is everything—and gambling is the way to the top. The story of Gamble Fish follows Tomu Shirasagi, a high school student with a mysterious past and a plan to shake the system to its core.

Armed with quick wits and unmatched bluffing skills, Tomu challenges students, teachers, and even high-profile figures in increasingly ridiculous and high-stakes matches. From Russian Roulette to card-counting to wild variations of poker, each gamble is flashier than the last.

Gamble Fish is the most OTT and quirky entry on this list, but that's what makes it fun. It's a chaotic, fast-paced rollercoaster, where Tomu blurs the line between genius and madness, and the twists just keep on coming.

Honorable Mentions

Casino-Gui

Casino Gui dives into the criminal underworld of Macao, following a skilled gambler caught in a deadly game of chance where the house always plays dirty. It's gritty, fast-paced, and packed with old-school noir vibes.

Gambling Emperor Legend Zero

Gambling Emperor Legend Zero brings the heat with over-the-top gambles and death-defying stakes, starring a genius teen as the main character who takes on rigged games to expose corruption and save lives.

Ultimate Survivor Kaiji

Ultimate Survivor Kaiji is a psychological rollercoaster where the down-on-his-luck main character, Kaiji, is thrown into life-threatening gambles that test his nerve, wits, and will to survive.

Final Thoughts

Each of these gambling manga series bring their own flavor—some grounded in gritty realism, others bursting with unhinged energy—but all of them will have you hooked from the very first sentence.

So whether you're spinning reels or calling bluffs IRL, these gambling manga will keep you locked in and on edge. After all, it's not just about luck—it's all about playing the game better than anyone else.

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