Tokyo police have referred a 13-year-old boy to a child guidance center after discovering he had been gambling often on an overseas online casino site. Investigators said the student accessed the site about 7,000 times between January and July.

The referral took place in August. The boy, who was an elementary school pupil until March, told police he used the smartphone his parents gave him for communication. “At first, I used my allowance,” he said. “Later, I began using my parents’ money.”

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the boy who is now in junior high school in Kanagawa Prefecture, bought 260,000 yen (about 1,700 US dollars) worth of the cryptocurrency Litecoin through the payment service PayPay.

Weak Checks Made Gambling Easy

The PayPay service lets users change cash into cryptocurrency without showing an ID or other proof of identity. This allowed the student to buy digital currency despite being underage.

Police said he also managed to open a casino account by lying about his age. The site did not ask for proper identification. An MPD officer said, “The site’s identity checks are only a formality. This case again shows how common online casinos have become among minors.”

Investigators believe the boy lost all the money he had converted into cryptocurrency. He told police he became curious about online casinos after seeing news stories about them.

Other Young Gamblers Also Found

Police have also referred 14 more people within the ages 14 and 21, to prosecutors for either habitual or simple gambling. Among them, eight are junior high or high school students.

The charge of habitual gambling depends on how often a person bets, and it carries a heavier punishment than simple gambling. Authorities say the growing number of cases involving teenagers is a serious concern.

University Student Arrested for Helping Minors

In a related case, police arrested a 19-year-old university student from Yokohama on October 6. He is suspected of breaking the Payment Services Law and helping others with habitual gambling.

Officers said he helped at least three of the 14 young gamblers to buy cryptocurrency even though he knew they were minors. He has reportedly admitted to the charges. Police believe he contacted them through social media and helped them exchange money for cryptocurrency without registration.

Online casinos allow users to bet real cash or cryptocurrency on digital games through smartphones and computers. In Japan, most cryptocurrency services require users to be at least 18 years old, but minors sometimes get around these checks by lying about their age.

Police are warning parents to watch their children’s online activities closely. They say more students are getting involved in online gambling, often losing money and breaking the law without realizing it.