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Tokyo police have raised fresh concerns after uncovering the case of a 13-year-old boy from Kanagawa who became deeply involved in online gambling earlier this year. The boy, a sixth-grader at the time, accessed an overseas casino website around 7,000 times between January and July before being referred to a child guidance center in August.
What started with small bets using his allowance escalated quickly. Investigators say he eventually dipped into his parents’ accounts, spending about ¥260,000 (roughly US$1,700). The money was converted into cryptocurrency via PayPay, a platform that allows exchanges without strict identity checks. All of it was eventually lost on the casino site.
Growing trend among minors
Police believe the boy’s interest in gambling was sparked by news coverage he had seen about online casinos. The case highlights how easily minors can bypass weak age-verification systems, simply by entering false information.
Authorities warn that this is far from an isolated incident. In recent months, 14 people between the ages of 14 and 21 have been referred for gambling-related offenses, while a 19-year-old student in Yokohama was arrested for helping underage players obtain cryptocurrency.
With Japan’s strict laws on gambling and cryptocurrency, the rise in such cases has alarmed both parents and law enforcement. Police are now urging families to pay closer attention to how children use smartphones and the internet, fearing that online casinos are reaching younger audiences at a growing pace.
Source: gamblinginsider.com
