The lawyer of a man who is refusing to return 46.3 million yen, or about 360,000 dollars, mistakenly sent to him by a government in western Japan says the man used it on overseas online casinos.

Officials of Abu Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture, accidentally wired the money to the 24-year-old man's bank account. The money was for a state cash allowance for families facing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic. The town was supposed to pay 100,000 yen each to 463 households.

The lawyer told reporters that the man does not have the money and would not be able to pay it back. The lawyer also revealed that the man was questioned by police about the matter twice in April and May, and voluntarily handed over his smartphone.

Abu Town Mayor Hanada Norihiko said on Tuesday that he will not give up and plans to do everything he can to recover the money.

Hanada also said he will try to find out if the man really used all the money on online casinos, and added that it would be unforgivable if it were true.

Online casinos are websites in which members can bet on games such as poker and roulette. There are no laws in Japan against them, but police have arrested customers and employees of businesses in the country that allow gambling on such websites.