Pokémon Is Using Japan's National ID Card To Shut Scalpers Out of Its 30th Anniversary Lottery

Summary

Pokémon is tying its 30th anniversary card lottery to My Number card identity checks, reserving most winning slots for verified applicants

Four 30th CELEBRATION MEGA products will be sold through staggered lottery windows at Pokémon Center Online

Fans can still enter without verifying, but the odds are deliberately tilted toward those who confirm their identity

Pokémon is putting its 30th CELEBRATION MEGA card lineup behind a lottery gated by identity verification, a notable escalation in how the franchise controls access to its most sought-after releases. Rather than a first-come scramble, Pokémon Center Online will run staggered draws that hand applicants who verify themselves through Japan’s My Number card system the majority of available winning slots.

For years, high-demand Pokémon card releases have been a magnet for scalpers, bots and resellers who buy up limited stock and flip it at inflated prices, leaving everyday collectors shut out. Lottery-based sales have become the usual defense, yet a determined secondary market has repeatedly found ways around them. The 30th anniversary push answers that pressure with a firmer gate. Pokémon is leaning on an identity-verification system built around the My Number card, Japan‘s government-issued national ID, to sort genuine fans from opportunistic buyers.

The mechanics run through two application tiers. Entrants can apply via a verified slot, which requires completing My Number card authentication inside the Pokémon Card Game Players Club and making sure the registered email matches their Pokémon Center Online account, or via an unverified slot, which only asks for phone-number authentication on Pokémon Center Online. The catch sits in the odds: the majority of winning entries are set aside for the verified pool, and while unverified fans may still enter, completing verification is openly framed as the way to improve one’s chances. Verification on its own still guarantees nothing.

The campaign covers four products from the 30th CELEBRATION MEGA range: the expansion pack BOX, the “Espeon & Umbreon” premium deck set, the “Futuristic Box,” and a nine-type card set. The first three share an application window running August 10 through August 14, with results on August 21 and shipping timed ahead of a mid-September release. The nine-type card set follows on its own track, with entries open August 28 through August 31, results on September 4, and shipping ahead of a mid-October release. Pokémon has also signaled that further lottery rounds will follow for those who miss out.

The 30th CELEBRATION MEGA lottery runs exclusively through Pokémon Center Online, with the first entry window open August 10 to August 14 and the card set draw following August 28 to August 31. Fans chasing the best odds will need to complete My Number card verification through the Players Club before applying.