renting out space for gambling and taking a cut; person who rents out gambling space for a commission
Rare historical term for an illegal gambling operation where a venue owner provides space and takes a percentage of the winnings. Can refer to the practice or the person.
In the Edo period, there were gambling-house bosses called dōtori.
The dōtori provided a place for gambling and took a portion of the proceeds.
元締め is a broader term for a boss or organizer, often used in criminal contexts; 胴取り is specifically a gambling-house operator.
Standard kanji spelling for this term.
Variant spelling with the same meaning.
Rare variant spelling.
Rare variant spelling.
Compound of 胴 (dō, 'trunk' or 'body', here possibly referring to the central pot or the house's stake) and 取り (tori, 'taking'). The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely refers to the house taking a share from the gambling proceeds.