On November 11, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Shinji Kakimoto, a 39-year-old man from Fukuoka, on suspicion of violating the Payment Services Act by using an online casino site's remittance function to exchange cryptocurrency without registration. Kakimoto has reportedly withheld his plea, stating that he will provide an explanation after consulting with his lawyer. According to investigators, this online casino site allowed the transfer of cryptocurrency equivalent to the amount wagered by users to other users' accounts, facilitating unauthorized exchanges.

Investigations disclosed that Kakimoto registered on the online casino using false personal information and, without government registration, exchanged electronic money worth approximately 38,799 yen for the cryptocurrency Litecoin received from three different individuals in January 2024. Additionally, records from Kakimoto's online casino account indicate that between September 2023 and July 2024, transactions exceeding 300 million yen worth of cryptocurrency were deposited, with some of it potentially linked to criminal proceeds. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe that Kakimoto may be involved in money laundering activities.

This case highlights growing concerns around the use of online gambling platforms for illicit financial activities, particularly the ease of exchanging cryptocurrency without regulatory oversight. As authorities escalate their watchdog efforts on such transactions, incidents like these raise questions about the effectiveness of current regulations and the need for further scrutiny of online casinos and cryptocurrency exchanges in Japan.