Japan is putting together a task force to try and control scalping and scams with games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon TCG. Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon TCG have both been subject to extreme demand and high prices on the resale market, which is likely also responsible for the cards being targeted in some crimes.
Some Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon cards have tremendous price tags assigned to them on the reseller market due to a combination of rarity and popularity. However, even brand-new cards have been subject to scalping, with resellers scooping up immense amounts of stock to resell at inflated prices, while legitimate customers are often left empty-handed.
Japan Task Force Assembles to Tackle TCG Problems
Per Kyodo News (via SoraNews24), the Japan Liberal Democratic Party has announced that a parliamentary group devoted to the country’s trading card industry will be established. To start off, the group intends to hear from industry officials and the Ministry of Economy regarding the biggest problems with the trading card industry, particularly with scalping and counterfeit cards. The lawmakers intend to discuss potential ways to make it safer to buy and sell trading cards. The group may also be looking into the possibility of high-value trading cards being used as a method of money laundering. However, no laws are being put into effect right away as lawmakers determine the best way of going about improving safety and supply around the growing market.
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Unfortunately, even when sales are being held legitimately, the intense demand created by scalpers and resellers has led to concerns for the safety of both customers and employees. In one case, a Pokemon Center decided to stay closed on a highly-anticipated release date for a new TCG set out of concerns for the safety of everyone involved. While scalping of this kind is technically legal in the US, its prevalence has led to disappointed gamers, and the inflated profits of second-hand sales are going into the pockets of resellers, not The Pokemon Company.
The task force may be able to come up with some new rules that help make legitimate purchases safer. Changing the rules around the production of trading cards could help to reduce the risk scalping and counterfeits, and The Pokemon Company has also introduced requiring government IDs for some Pokemon card purchases in Japan to try and control scalping. However, it remains to be seen if the task force has any real impact on crime surrounding the games. The highest-value targets for Pokemon TCG tend to be older cards, so even if new cards began being produced with individual serial numbers or another method of tracking immediately, that wouldn’t impact the market of 20-year-old cards.
The trading card industry in Japan generated a whopping $2.3 billion in 2025 alone, so there’s a lot to be gained here. If the task force is successful, buying Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards could become easier, safer, or even more affordable, and even help to further boost the industry’s numbers. With any luck, it comes up with some solutions to at least some of the problems plaguing the industry.