A recent report from South Korea’s National Police Agency has revealed a troubling trend in underage online gambling, with 4,715 individuals under 19 years old identified as participants during a special enforcement operation from September 2023 to October 2024.
This alarming figure accounts for 47.2 percent of all individuals involved in the crackdown, prompting significant concern among law enforcement and the public alike.
According to Korean news agency Yonhap, over the past year, police have conducted a comprehensive cyber gambling crackdown, resulting in nearly 10,000 arrests, with almost half of those being teenagers.
The National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters announced the arrest of 297 operating organizations and 9,971 gambling participants during a 13-month operation, which focused on cybercrime investigations from September 25, 2023, to the end of October 2024.
Authorities seized KRW126 billion ($90.4 million) in proceeds from gambling crimes.
Initially, the crackdown targeted illegal gambling operations and high-stakes players, but the alarming rise in youth involvement shifted the focus of the campaign. The number of underage gambling cases skyrocketed by an astonishing 2,784 percent compared to just 162 cases reported the previous year.
Among those identified, 17-year-olds made up the largest segment with 1,763 participants, followed by 16-year-olds at 1,241, and 15-year-olds at 560.
The data indicates that online casino games have become the most prevalent form of gambling among youth, representing 82.6 percent of the total cases. The total amount wagered during this period reached KRW3.7 billion ($2.64 million), with the average bet per participant estimated at KRW780,000 ($560).
Notably, a 16-year-old male student reportedly wagered KRW190 million ($136,000) on baccarat, one of the casino games.
Among the arrested adolescents, 4,672, or 99 percent, were classified as simple gamblers. However, authorities also uncovered deeper involvement in illegal activities, including site operation (16 individuals), development and management (13), provision of gambling products (8), and gambling advertisements (6).
By age, the breakdown of participants shows that 17-year-olds accounted for 38 percent, followed by 16-year-olds at 26 percent, 18-year-olds at 11 percent, and even younger ages represented, including 12-year-olds and a 9-year-old elementary school student.
The primary motivations for youth gambling were curiosity (42.7 percent) and peer influence (33.6 percent), with online and offline advertising also playing a role. In response, the police have referred 1,733 minors to professional counseling services, which represents 37 percent of the youth arrests.
The National Police Agency has extended the special crackdown period by another year, emphasizing the seriousness of the youth gambling issue.
