Gambling Addiction Among South Korean Teens Skyrockets to Worst Level in 4 Years

The number of teenagers addicted to online gambling in South Korea has skyrocketed in the last four years, reports show, raising concerns about the increasing number of young people turning to online casinos.

According to a report by the Korea Times, the number of teenagers receiving gambling addiction counseling has more than doubled from 1,286 in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, to 2,665 by the end of August this year.

More teens are struggling to break free from gambling, according to data, as the rate of successful gambling cessation dropped to just 24.9 percent in 2023 as compared to 49.2 percent in 2020.

The number of teenagers addicted to gambling are getting younger, according to the data, with 20.6 percent of middle school students aged 14 to 16 struggling with addiction, as compared to 12.8 percent in 2020.

Data has also showed that teens have shifted from sports betting to online casinos, with 59 percent of them participating in online casinos from 8.9 percent four years ago.

This data comes amid the staggering increase among online gamblers in South Korea. Recently, celebrity Lee Jin-ho apologized for his ties to illegal online gambling. Lee, a famous comedian in South Korea, has victimized fellow celebrities including Jimin, a member of Kpop supergroup BTS.

Data from a separate Korea Times report showed that illegal gambling industry activities also tripled from 16,662 in 2023 to 48,648 this year, as cited by the National Gambling Control Commission to the office of Rep. Min Hyung-bae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.

For Representative Cho Gye-won, a Member of Parliament from the Democratic Party of Korea, this stresses the need for stricter measures against illegal gambling.

Campaigns were also mounted to fight underage gambling in South Korea and help educate youngsters.

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