South Korea’s National Police Agency said 1,777 teenagers came forward during a voluntary reporting period on adolescent online gambling that ran from 18 May to 31 August. The programme was meant to steer young gamblers toward treatment rather than punishment.
According to Chosun Business, 1,501 of the teenagers, or 84.5%, reported themselves, while parents or guardians filed 276 cases. Seoul Economic Daily said high school students made up the largest group, with 963 reports, followed by 813 middle school students and one elementary school pupil. It also said the teenagers ranged in age from 12 to 18, with an average age of 15.5.
The reports point to a pattern of early, intensive play. The youths said they had been gambling for about 10 months on average, with average stakes of 3 million won, about $2,230. Casino-style games, including slots and baccarat, accounted for 95.9% of the cases.
School police officer education and outreach prompted 1,183 reports, or 66.6%. Seoul Economic Daily said online promotion and posters accounted for another 243 reports, encouragement from friends and others for 180, and guidance from schools for 110. It also said the reporting system was first introduced by police in Daejeon in 2024, then run by eight regional agencies before being expanded nationwide in 2026.
Of the 1,504 teenagers who completed initial interviews, 1,430 were referred to specialist organisations. Another 273 were still awaiting interviews and were to be referred in turn. In a separate analysis of 160 youths who completed rehabilitation, average gambling-problem screening scores fell from 4.81 before treatment to 2.22 afterwards.
Police also said the gambling was spilling into other harms. They identified cases involving assault and theft, including one student in Ulsan who allegedly gambled about 200 million won over two years and assaulted his mother while asking for money, and a 14-student gambling group in Seoul that allegedly committed fraud and theft when it ran out of cash. Investigators said some young gamblers turned to illegal private lenders, and five victims were referred to the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service while police looked into excessive interest and threats from collectors.
During the interviews, police asked for 464 illegal gambling websites to be blocked or removed. The National Police Agency plans to commission research through October to assess how well the voluntary system worked before deciding whether and how to continue it.
