A 10-year-old boy fan of Pok茅mon stumbled on a TikTok broadcast thinking it was the cartoon, but ended up losing his pocket money to a gambling stream.
The boy’s father, Mr Li, 38, who works in sales, told Shin Min Daily that he and his wife would let their son watch TikTok videos on a mobile phone, thinking it was harmless entertainment.
That changed last month when his wife received several notifications on her mobile phone about transactions of between $20 and $30 from her son’s bank account.
When they got home, the couple checked their son’s mobile phone and discovered that the boy had watched what was supposedly a Pok茅mon Trading Card Game livestream.
Mr Li was furious that a gambling stream had been disguised as something so innocent and was also upset that the host of the livestream was spewing vulgarities during the broadcast – lamenting the damage it would do to youngsters like his son.
While trying to understand how his son had been duped into parting with his pocket money, Mr Li was shocked to discover that there are many such gambling livestreams masked as Pok茅mon broadcasts on TikTok.
“This trend should not be allowed to continue,” said Mr Li. “Online gambling hidden in games should not be allowed as it would impact children.”
While Mr Li did not take away his son’s mobile phone, he and his wife used the episode as an opportunity to warn his son of the dangers of gambling.
They did, however, set transaction limits on the boy’s bank account to prevent him from losing more money.
Mr Li is relieved that they discovered the issue early, and hopes that his family’s experience can be a warning to others.
This is tantamount to illegal gambling – lawyers
Wong Guoyean, a lawyer at Invictus Law Corporation, said in an interview that if a live broadcast room allows players to participate in similar chance games, it is likely to involve illegal gambling.
Mr Wong noted that without a license, opening a gambling game, promoting gambling, and profiting from it are all illegal acts.
Those found guilty of illegal gambling may face a fine of up to $500,000 and a maximum of seven years in prison.