South Korea: Police uncover over 4,700 minors in crackdown on online gambling

SEOUL — South Korean Police said on Sunday that they have identified over 4,700 minors involved in online gambling activities over the past year.

The National Police Agency said that 4,715 individuals under the age of 19 were discovered during a special crackdown on illegal online gambling conducted from September 2023 to October this year. No arrests of minors have been made, Yonhap news agency reported.

The figure accounts for 47.2 per cent of all age groups involved in the crackdown. Initially, police focused on targeting illegal gambling operators and habitual or high-stakes gamblers, but the scope of the campaign was expanded last year due to the growing problem of juvenile gambling.

As a result, the number of underage gamblers identified surged by an astounding 2,784 per cent from just 162 cases reported during the previous year.

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Seventeen-year-olds made up the largest group, with 1,763 people, followed by 16-year-olds (1,241) and 15-year-olds (560).

The most popular form of gambling among these teens was online casino games, accounting for 82.6 per cent of overall cases. The total amount wagered reached 3.7 billion won ($2.64 million), with an average bet of 780,000 won per person.

Of the 4,715 underage violators, 1,733 were referred to professional counselling services, according to the police.

The agency said that the special crackdown will be extended for another year, as illegal gambling among youth shows no signs of declining.