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Read Full BioA rising number of South Korean teenagers are gambling online, a new government-led study has found.
According to the South Korean media outlet News1, there has been a “surge in youth cyber gambling,” with rates “quadrupling in 2024.”
The outlet wrote that the study “highlights the urgent need for an effective response from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the ministry responsible for youth-related policy.”
The Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Seo Young-kyo, a member of the National Assembly’s Gender Equality and Family Committee, published the study using data from the ministry’s own research.
The National Police Agency (NPA) also took part in the study. The report states that the number of teenagers admitting to illegal “online gambling activities” shot up from 170 in 2023 to 669 in 2024.
Korean Teenagers: Gambling Figures on the Rise
Seo noted, however, that gambling addiction treatment for young offenders has not expanded significantly to meet the rise.
The number of young citizens using the ministry’s youth cyber gambling treatment camp program rose by less than 10 in the same time period. Only 25 young offenders used the program in 2023. And just 33 used it in 2024.
The ministry compiled its own data using questionnaires sent to school children from all over the country. However, critics argue that this questionnaire may employ outdated methodology. They note that despite the rise in youth gambling, the survey was repeated in April this year.
The ministry used the same questionnaire in 2025, “without adding any improvements, such as supplementary questions,” Seo said.
Surveys Aren’t Enough, Lawmaker Laments
A lack of anonymity could also be problematic, experts say. The survey asks respondents about their experiences with web-based sports betting and online money-staking card games, such as Baccarat.
It asks students to “check all the online gambling activities they have engaged in over the past three months.”
The media outlet wrote: “As the survey requires students to submit their real names, young people are more likely to provide false answers.”
The ministry conceded that the reliability of its survey results was “low,” making it “difficult to understand the actual size of the at-risk group.”
Critics argue that this suggests the actual number of youth gamblers may be significantly higher than official estimates.
Seo said: “If we fail to detect children’s exposure to online gambling at an early stage, we will allow them to fall deeper into the shadows. It isn’t enough for the ministry to conduct low-reliability diagnostic surveys. It should actively pursue effective measures, including preventive education and more youth treatment programs.”
In September this year, the NPA reported a whopping 24-fold rise in gambling-related juvenile crime rates.
The Korea Institute for Gambling Problem Prevention & Treatment has also reported that the number of teenagers using gambling addiction-related educational resources increased fourfold in the period 2021 to 2024.
Over 2 million teens and younger children accessed these resources last year, the institute claimed.
Critics have criticized the previous government, noting that the budget for gambling prevention awareness projects has been reduced by 10% since 2021.
