South Korean Police Report 24x Rise in Gambling-Related Juvenile Crime

South Korean police say there has been a 24x rise in gambling-related juvenile crime cases over the three years from 2021 to 2024.

The South Korean media outlet Nocut News reported that, per National Police Agency (NPA) data, officers arrested 72 children aged 10 to 13 for gambling violations in the same time period. In 2021, the number stood at just 3.

The NPA released the data following a freedom of information request from the lawmaker Min Hyung-bae, a member of the ruling Democratic Party.

During the same period, the number of arrests involving older children (aged 14-18) also increased nearly ninefold, rising from 63 to 559.

Min is a member of parliament for Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju. He is also a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee.

Lawmakers Demand Action to Reduce Juvenile Crimes

Lawmakers say they are concerned that despite what they call an “explosive increase in juvenile gambling crimes,” the country’s preventive education infrastructure is “stagnant.”

Critics say that more preventive education is urgently needed, but note that government support for such measures is severely lacking.

According to a survey by the Korea Institute for Gambling Problem Prevention and Treatment, the number of teenagers accessing gambling addiction-related education resources increased fourfold from 2021 to 2024.

Over 2 million accessed these resources last year, the center stated. However, the budget for gambling prevention awareness projects dropped by 10% during the same period.

The number of government workers allocated to these projects also dropped from 103 in 2022 to 97 last year.

Min said: “The issue of youth gambling has become a serious social crisis. We can no longer ignore it. We must re-examine the entire system, from preventive education to blocking access to gambling-related websites. [Seoul] must hasten to develop effective measures.”

Youth Gambling: A Growing Problem for South Korea?

In March this year, a National Youth Policy Institute study found that one in 10 teenagers who have used online gambling platforms have borrowed money from loan sharks to cover their debts.

And in July, the city of Gumi, in North Gyeongsang Province, explained that a survey had found that 43.4% children and young adults in the province say they have experienced gambling.

The city vowed to target illegal gambling networks after learning that most children with gambling experience placed their first online bets at age 12.

Some of the country’s biggest casino operators have responded to government critics who say they are failing to do enough to halt gambling addiction by teaming up with major rehabilitation center providers.

Kangwon Land, which operates the High1 casino in Gangwon Province, recently launched the nation’s first residential gambling addiction treatment center.

The center is set to wrap up a month-long pilot next week, with preliminary plans in place to launch similar centers elsewhere in the nation next year.