Adolescent gambling addiction cases triple in South Korea over three years
Criminal activity related to youth gambling has also shown a sharp increase.
Key points:
– Adolescent gambling addiction cases in South Korea rose 3.3 times from 2022 – 2024
– Medical costs nearly quadrupled, while youth gambling crimes increased more than eightfold
– Lawmakers are calling for expanded treatment, counselling and prevention efforts
South Korea has reported a sharp rise in adolescent gambling addiction cases over the past three years, with associated medical costs increasing nearly fourfold.
According to data submitted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-seok, the number of adolescent patients receiving treatment for gambling addiction rose from 64 in 2022 to 210 in 2024.
During the same period, medical expenses increased from KRW 110m ($79,400) to KRW 430m.
Concerns extend beyond healthcare. National Police Agency figures show that juvenile gambling crimes grew more than eightfold, from 76 in 2022 to 631 in 2024.
Arrests involving children aged 10 to 13 increased from two to 72, while cases linked to online casinos rose from two to 93.
Illegal sports betting incidents also climbed from 36 to 109.
Counselling demand has surged in parallel. The Korea Problem Gambling Agency reported that youth gambling counselling cases grew from 1,460 in 2022 to 4,144 in 2024, with more than 3,200 already recorded in the first eight months of 2025.
Good to know: Prevention education initiatives reached over 2 million participants last year
Despite these efforts, resources remain limited. Rep. Seo criticised the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Integrated Support Center for Addiction Management for focusing primarily on alcohol and not sufficiently addressing gambling harms.
He argued that youth gambling should be treated as a social addiction issue requiring expanded treatment facilities, additional counselling staff and strengthened prevention programs in schools and communities.
Regarding this, Seo stated: “Youth illegal gambling is a social addiction problem that cannot be solved by crackdowns alone. This goes beyond harming individuals’ studies and health, leading to family breakdown, crime recurrence and skyrocketing social costs.
“Expanding specialised treatment facilities for youth, bolstering counselling staff and expanding prevention education in schools and communities are urgently needed.”
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