Pokemon to Scan Government IDs in Japan to Fight Card Scalping
The Pokémon Company says it is exploring a system that would scan government-issued IDs (Japan’s My Number Card) to gate purchases of priority lottery items, certain Pokémon Centre Online products, and event registrations in Japan. The ID would be scanned via smartphones using an external service, with no ID number stored, and the plan is set to roll out in August 2026. The My Number Card isn’t mandatory, and it may take 1–2 months to receive after registration.