Thousands of juvenile online gamblers identified in South Korea

ANKARA

South Korean police said Sunday they have identified thousands of juvenile online gamblers over the past year.

The National Police Agency said that some 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, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

No arrests of minors, however, have so far been made.

The figure makes up 47.2% of all age groups involved in the crackdown.

Initially, the focus of the crackdown was on illegal gambling operators and habitual or high-stakes gamblers, but it was expanded last year due to the increasing problem of juvenile gambling.

Seventeen-year-olds made up the largest group, followed by 16-year-olds, and 15-year-olds.

Online casino games were the most popular form of gambling among these teens, accounting for 82.6% of total cases.

The total amount wagered reached 3.7 billion won ($2.64 million), with an average bet of 780,000 won per person.

Some 1,733 of the total underage violators were referred to professional counseling services.

The police said the crackdown will be extended for another year, as illegal gambling among youth shows no signs of declining.