Here's a summary of the article in five key points:
1. **Japanese police are arresting online casino users:** Using cryptocurrency tracking tools, authorities are targeting individuals gambling on overseas crypto casinos, even though the gamblers are not based in Japan. 57 people have been arrested since September, with 10 more (including a fireman) referred to prosecutors in late November. This represents the first such crackdown using crypto tracking tech.
2. **Focus on overseas crypto casinos:** The arrests focus on users of unauthorized online casinos operating outside Japan, including sites like Sportsbet.io, Vera&John Casino, and BitCasino, some of which offer services in Japanese. While some forms of gambling are legal in Japan, these online platforms are not authorized.
3. **Crypto tracking tools employed:** The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is using cryptocurrency tracking tools to identify and locate gamblers using these overseas platforms. This marks the first reported instance of such tools being used for this purpose in Japan.
4. **Public questions police priorities:** The arrests are happening against a backdrop of economic hardship in Japan and unsolved major cryptocurrency exchange hacks (like the DMM Bitcoin and Coincheck incidents). The public is questioning the focus on arresting gamblers while major crypto theft cases remain unresolved.
5. **KYC information likely used in investigation:** Online speculation suggests police may be using Know Your Customer (KYC) information from the gambling websites to identify users. This raises privacy concerns and highlights the potential difficulties in prosecuting individuals who use false identities when registering on these platforms.