There are countless websites offering gambling bets online, and minors can browse them at any time, which may have a negative influence. According to reports by Japan’s TBS and Asahi Shimbun, Japanese police have said that while investigating online casinos recently, they discovered a case involving a first-year junior high (grade 7) student from Kanagawa Prefecture who had developed a gambling addiction and was using cryptocurrency for betting. The case has been reported to child consultation agencies.
Police investigations found that the boy had started gambling on online casinos since January of this year, using the electronic payment platform PayPay to exchange for the cryptocurrency “Litecoin,” and then placing bets. During this period, he forged his identity to set up accounts and conducted as many as 7,000 deposits and withdrawals. The estimated total bet amount is about 7 million yen (193,600 ringgit).
The boy stated that he used a smartphone his parents gave him for contact purposes to gamble. At first, he used his own allowance, but later began using his parents' money. Police also discovered that 14 customers of the online casinos were between the ages of 14 and 21, and they too faced prosecution or other forms of disciplinary action.