Over the past four years, the number of teenagers struggling with gambling addiction in South Korea has more than doubled. It is accompanied by a lurching 14-fold surge in online casino participation.
The Korea Times cites Representative Cho Gye-won of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea. According to them, data from the Korea Center on Gambling Problems (KCGP) reveals that the number of teenagers receiving gambling addiction counseling has increased. It rose from 1,286 in 2020 to 2,665 by the end of August 2024. The severity of the addiction of teenagers remains concerning even if more teens are looking for help.
The problem level gamblers are those exhibiting the most severe addiction. Their number rose from 362 or 6.1 percent in 2020 and 582 or 66.4 percent this year.
Another statistic is the significant drop in the success rate of teens quitting gambling. The rate of successful gambling cessation plummeted from 49.2 percent in 2020 to just 24.9 percent last year. It suggests that teens are finding it increasingly difficult to overcome gambling addiction once they start.
A concerning shift in the age group affected is also emerging. High school students aged 17 to 19 made up 80.5 percent of those seeking help for gambling addiction four years ago. This figure has now decreased to 55 percent. While middle school students aged 14 to 16 have experienced an increase in gambling addiction cases, the rate rose from 8.9 percent in 2020 to 59 percent last year. The accessibility of online casinos through smartphones, combined with the immediate gratification they provide, makes them particularly addictive for teens.
Stricter enforcement and harsher penalties for illegal gambling websites like enhanced efforts to shut down these platforms have been called by Representative Cho.
