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Olympic Star's Crypto Gamble: Takashi Niwa Arrested for Online Betting

Coin WorldWednesday, Jan 29, 2025 11:19 pm ET

1min read

Japanese Table Tennis Star Arrested for Gambling, Suspected of Placing Bets on Sports Matches Using Cryptocurrency at an Online Casino

The Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested Takashi Niwa, a 30-year-old bronze medalist in men's table tennis team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, on suspicion of gambling through overseas online casino websites. Niwa admitted to the relevant charges during voluntary questioning, stating that he placed bets on the outcome of sports matches.

In an interview with Kyodo News, Niwa expressed regret for his actions, stating, "I was not aware that this was illegal, and I deeply regret it. I'm sorry to my fans."

Investigators have attached a request for strict handling to the case. The charges allege that in early summer 2023, Niwa accessed an online casino website through a domestic network connection and engaged in gambling using encrypted assets (virtual currency).

The Japanese police discovered Niwa's involvement during a crackdown on online casino payment agents, which revealed users nationwide.

Niwa participated in the 2012 London Olympics at the age of 17 and won a silver medal in the men's team event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He announced his retirement in the fall of 2022 but continued to engage in athlete-related activities within Japan.

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