Another important factor is that pachinko is essentially a neighbourhood thing. This social relaxation is thus a familiar feature of the urban, suburban and country landscape. Women employed part-time in the business and service sectors and retired people aged 60 and over are now among the keenest players. In 1990 the authorities introduced a system of prepaid cards. The idea was to make pachinko more transparent for tax purposes, but the scheme contributed to a dramatic increase in the amount of money spent on the game.
Players buy a card like a phonecard, which they can use to get a supply of balls or tokens.
It is becoming increasingly common for people to lose a whole month's wages at the game. However, serious questions are beginning to be asked about the prepaid cards. Counterfeit cards have appeared on the market, facilitating tax evasion and providing a fresh source of cash for the criminal fraternity and, indirectly, for groups engaged in organised crime in North Korea. In 1990, there were press reports that the pachinko industries were funding candidates from the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party. Subsequent investigations revealed that an opposition party, the Social-Democratic Party, had also received certain favours.