Illegal Online Gambling in South Korea Soars Since COVID

As South Korea continues to combat illegal gambling, a newly released report sounds the alarm about the exponential growth of such activities over the last few years. Data from the country’s National Gambling Control Commission highlights that the number of illegal gambling cases soared when compared to pre-pandemic data from 2019, as announced by The Korea Times.

Illegal Gambling Cases Soar in Only Four Years

In 2019, before the pandemic, there were 13,064 cases of illegal gambling recorded by the Commission. In contrast, last year, the cases increased by three times to 39,082. This concerning trend confirms that the COVID-related restrictions likely pushed more people into online gambling. Certainly, this is one of the reasons why the number of illegal gambling cases increased but the ease of access to such activities is another reason. Oftentimes illegal gambling platforms use social media to advertise their offering. This captures the attention of both adults and in some cases even children who are lured into illegal gambling.

Along with the threefold increase in the number of illegal gambling cases came an increase in the surveillance of such operations. Per the recently released data, in 2019, there were 16,662 cases of surveillance of illegal gambling. This number increased to 48,648 as of 2023, signaling the government’s intentions to combat unlawful online gambling. It’s important to note that illegal gambling was responsible for more than 80% of all surveillance cases in the country last year.

The Value of the Illegal Market Continues to Grow

A notable increase is observed in the estimated value of the illegal gambling sector in South Korea. In 2019, the sector was estimated at 81.5 trillion won ($59.2 billion). However, in 2023, the illegal gambling sector was estimated to be worth 102.7 trillion won ($74.6 billion), a figure that points to 26% increase.

The concerning trend of the expanding illegal online gambling market continues throughout this year. Until August, 32,309 cases of illegal gambling were recorded. This total breaks down to 11,962 cases related to illegal betting, 9,507 tied to illegal iGaming websites and 17,733 cases of illegal casino gambling. Keeping in mind the number of cases recorded so far, it is highly likely that another increase will be observed in 2024 when compared to 2023.

Recently, several cases related to illegal gambling in South Korea made it to news headlines. Notably, BTS’ Jimin was among the people who gave money to the famous comedian, Lee Jin Ho. The famous comedian suffered from gambling addiction which resulted in him accumulating a large gambling debt.