Seoul: South Korean police said Sunday they have identified thousands of juvenile online gamblers over the past year. The National Police Agency reported that around 4,715 individuals below the age of 19 were identified during a “special” crackdown on illegal online gambling conducted from September 2023 to October this year, as per Seoul-based Yonhap News.
According to Anadolu Agency, no arrests of minors have been made so far. The juveniles identified constitute 47.2% of all age groups involved in the crackdown. Initially, the focus was on illegal gambling operators and habitual or high-stakes gamblers, but due to the rising issue of juvenile gambling, the crackdown was expanded last year.
Seventeen-year-olds comprised the largest group of underage gamblers, followed by 16-year-olds and 15-year-olds. Online casino games proved to be the most popular form of gambling among these teenagers, making up 82.6% of the total cases. The total amount wagered reached 3.7 billion won ($2.64 million), with an average
bet of 780,000 won per person.
Additionally, 1,733 of the total underage violators were referred to professional counseling services. The police have announced that the crackdown will be extended for another year, as illegal gambling among youth continues to be an unresolved issue.