Crackdown on teen gambling in South Korea
South Korean law enforcement has been vigorously pursuing illicit online gambling activities for the last six months.Through these actions, they have caught 2,925...
Surge in underage gambling in South Korea
The National Police Agency (KNPA) of South Korea has observed a marked rise in the number of youth, especially teens, who are engaging in illegal gambling.
Not only are there more kids gambling, but the average age of these teens is now around sixteen, which makes this trend concerning. Police arrested 171 young people between the ages of fourteen and nineteen for unlawful gambling in 2023—more than twice as many as the previous year. The majority of these teenagers were male.
The vast majority of these young gamblers, roughly eighty-five percent of them, were engaged in rapid online games like sports betting and baccarat. More than half of them used internet cafe PCs and smartphones to access these gambling sites.
The fact that gambling on cell phones is easily accessible and sometimes perceived as a lighthearted pastime has government officials worried about its rising popularity among young people. However, as some people can try to obtain money to gamble, this might result in major problems like fraud and violence in schools. The KNPA Commissioner emphasized the risks associated with playing games on smartphones and committed to preventing and treating gambling addiction in young people.
In response, the police are considering launching educational initiatives to inform parents and middle and high school students about the dangers of gambling. Additionally, they will collaborate with local services to provide young individuals who have engaged in gambling with counselling and support.
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