If you’ve spent any time running around 1980s Kamurocho, you know the vibe. Neon lights. Cigarette smoke. Kiryu Kazuma in a white suit looking like he's ready to punch a hole through a brick wall. But then you hit the Real Estate Royale sub-game and everything changes. You aren't just a brawler anymore; you're a property manager. And standing between you and total dominance of the Five Billionaires is the Yakuza 0 Gambling King.
He’s a piece of work. Honestly, he’s probably the most frustrating of the bunch because, unlike the Leisure King or the Electronic King, his challenge isn't about how well you can press buttons in a rhythm game or how many enemies you can beat up in a timed encounter. It’s about luck. Well, mostly luck.
The Gamble for Jingucho
The Gambling King—real name Masami Onizuka—controls the Jingucho area. This is the fourth major hurdle in the Real Estate Royale storyline. By the time you get here, you’ve already handled the small fry. You’ve probably upgraded your staff and realized that managing properties is a faster way to make money than literally any other activity in the game. But Jingucho is different.
The stakes are higher. The properties are more expensive.
When you hit that 60% occupancy mark, the Gambling King isn't going to just sit there. He challenges you to a game of Catfight. Specifically, the JCC (Japan Catfight Club). If you win, you gain a massive chunk of share in the district. If you lose? You lose 10%.
It sounds simple. It’s not.
Why the JCC Challenge is a Nightmare
Anyone who has played Yakuza 0 knows that the Catfight Club is a special kind of hell. It’s basically a glorified version of Rock-Paper-Scissors, but with high-stakes betting and some of the most frustrating RNG (random number generation) in the entire Yakuza series.
You’ve got Jennifer. She’s usually the powerhouse. Then there’s Remi or Momoko.
📖 Related: FC 26 Web App: How to Master the Market Before the Game Even Launches
The problem is that the Gambling King doesn't care about your stats. You pick a fighter, you pick your move, and then you pray. You’ll find yourself mashing the button during the "tie-breaker" sequences until your thumb goes numb, only for the AI to decide it’s winning anyway. It feels rigged. Sometimes it probably is.
I’ve seen players spend hours on this one specific encounter. You can be the richest guy in Tokyo, but if the RNG gods decide Jennifer is going to lose to a low-tier fighter in the first round, you’re losing that 10% share. It’s a massive pace-breaker. You have to go back, wait for your properties to generate income, and slowly claw that percentage back up just to trigger the challenge again.
Strategy or Just Luck?
Is there a trick? Kinda.
Most people swear by picking Jennifer because her overall stats are objectively the best. But here’s the thing: the game likes to pull the rug out from under you. Some veteran players suggest looking at the scrolling ticker tape at the bottom of the screen before the matches start. It gives "news" about the fighters. If it says someone is having a bad day or feeling sick, believe it.
Don't just pick your favorite. Check the "mood" of the fighters.
Also, pay attention to the Rock-Paper-Scissors cycle of your opponent. While it’s mostly random, the AI does have slight tendencies. If they’ve thrown Rock twice, they’re less likely to throw it a third time. Usually. But again, it’s the Gambling King. He lives up to the name by making you bet your progress on a coin flip.
Taking Over Jingucho Properties
While you're dealing with the King’s ego, you still have to buy up the neighborhood. Jingucho is pricey. You’re looking at properties that start in the hundreds of millions and scale up quickly.
👉 See also: Mass Effect Andromeda Gameplay: Why It’s Actually the Best Combat in the Series
- The Maharaja Kamurocho: This is the big one. It’s the crown jewel of the area. It costs a fortune, but the returns are essential if you want to fund your late-game ability upgrades.
- The Pocket Circuit Stadium: Yeah, even the hobby shops are part of the turf war.
- Various bars and eateries: You’ll be running around Jingucho like a madman trying to find the blue prompts to buy these spots.
The trick here is to invest heavily in your advisors. By this point in the game, you should have access to the "Miracle" (the Michael Jackson parody) or other high-tier advisors. Do not cheap out. You need those properties to hit S-rank as fast as possible because the Gambling King’s influence drains your percentage faster than the previous kings did.
The Final Showdown
Once you finally hit 90% and survive the Catfight nonsense, you get the boss fight.
Honestly? The fight is a relief.
Compared to the stress of the Catfight Club, punching the Gambling King in the face is a walk in the park. He’s a big guy, a heavy hitter, but he’s slow. If you’ve been upgrading Kiryu’s Brawler or Beast styles, you can basically just tank his hits and trade damage. Or, if you want to be stylish, switch to Rush and dance around him.
He fights like a typical "big man" archetype in Yakuza. Lots of wide swings, a few grab attempts, and a lot of health. But he doesn't have the speed of the Media King or the technicality of the boss that comes after him.
Once he’s down, he’s done. You get the Jingucho area, you get a massive payout, and you move one step closer to unlocking the legendary Dragon of Dojima fighting style. That’s the real prize. The Real Estate Royale isn't really about the money—though the billions of yen are nice—it’s about getting that fourth fighting style that turns Kiryu into a god.
What You Should Do Right Now
If you're currently stuck on the Gambling King, stop bashing your head against the wall.
✨ Don't miss: Marvel Rivals Emma Frost X Revolution Skin: What Most People Get Wrong
First, go handle some sub-stories. There are specific sub-stories in Kamurocho that unlock better security guards and advisors. If your "Security" stat is low in Jingucho, the Gambling King will constantly trigger "trouble" events that stop your progress. You want the highest-rated guards you can find to keep the money flowing while you're off doing other things.
Second, save your game before the Catfight challenge. Seriously.
The game doesn't auto-save in a way that’s friendly to this sub-game. If you lose the JCC match, just reload. It’s much faster to spend three minutes reloading a save than it is to spend thirty minutes regaining 10% of the district's share through property management cycles.
Lastly, make sure you've finished the Pocket Circuit storyline. Not only is it a great distraction, but the rewards and the characters you meet can sometimes help fill out your roster of employees.
The Gambling King is a gatekeeper. He’s designed to slow you down and make you engage with the weirder side of Yakuza 0. Beat him at his own game, take his money, and get back to the real work of building an empire.
Once Jingucho is yours, the Media King is the only thing left. And trust me, if you can handle the RNG of the catfights, you can handle anything the Media King throws at you. Just keep your eyes on the prize: that Dragon style is worth every headache.