South Korea Reports Disconcerting Increase in Adolescent Gambling Harm

South Korea is experiencing serious issues with youth gambling as cases of addiction among adolescents have spiked, leading to astronomical medical costs.

South Korea’s Gripes with Adolescent Gambling Increase

According to data by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, cases of gambling addiction among adolescents have increased dramatically, soaring from 64 in 2022 to a staggering 210 in 2024.

Data shows that both illegal online gambling and betting have been on the rise.

To make matters worse, the rise in problem gambling has also led to an increase in gambling-associated crimes committed by younger players. Concerning data from the National Police Agency suggests that the criminal cases increased from 76 in 2022 to 631 in 2024. The police have been arresting adolescents, some as young as 10-13.

In the meantime, the increase in problem gambling among adolescents has led to a quadrupling in the associated medical costs, which have increased from KRW 110 million in 2022 to KRW 430 million in 2024. Counselling demand has experienced a similar increase, with youth gambling counselling cases increasing from 1,460 to 4,144.

Specialized Treatment Is Needed

Democratic Rep. Seo Young-seok was very critical of the Ministry of Health, saying that its Welfare’s Integrated Support Center for Addiction Management isn’t taking the matter seriously enough and is still primarily focusing on alcohol abuse cases.

Seo emphasized that youth gambling is a serious issue, both to the people experiencing it and the South Korean society as a whole. He said crackdowns on illegal gambling alone will not be enough to prevent cases of addiction and asserted that it is imperative to expand South Korea’s treatment capabilities.

To that end, Seo proposed expanding specialized facilities, bolstering counselling staff and introducing additional gambling harm education to learning facilities across the country.

South Korea Busted a Huge Illegal Gaming Operation

The news comes not long after authorities reported the crackdown on a $31 million illegal gambling ring operating from Cambodia. According to reports, this led to the arrests of 10 people believed to have been associated with the operation.

At the same time, foreign tourism has led to a spike in South Korea’s domestic casino industry.