Online casinos are fueling a 14-fold increase in teen gambling

An image depicting illegal operators of online gambling sites advertising their services through an online game designed for all ages. Courtesy of Dongdaemun Police Station

By KTimes

The number of teenage gambling addicts has more than doubled in the last four years, with an alarming 14-fold increase in the use of online casinos. This trend has raised significant concerns about the growing problem of youth gambling.

One such case involves a 17-year-old, who fell into gambling after observing friends in high school and eventually racked up more than 16 million won (roughly $12,000) in debt. The teenager’s parents helped pay off the debt, but the experience led to strained friendships, withdrawal from school and mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression.

Cases such as these highlight the worrying trend of younger teenagers, particularly high school students, getting involved in gambling, with increasing numbers turning to highly addictive online casinos, underscoring the urgent need for action preventive

According to lawmaker Cho Gye-won of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, data from the Korea Center on Gambling Problems show that the number of teenagers receiving gambling addiction counseling has more than doubled, from from 1,286 in 2020 to 2,665 at the end of August this year. year

Although more teens are seeking help, the severity of their addiction has not diminished. Those classified as having the most severe addiction, or “problem level” gamblers, also increased from 362 (65.1 percent) in 2020 to 582 (66.4 percent) this year.

Worryingly, the rate of successful cessation of gambling one year after treatment has dropped significantly, from 49.2% in 2020 to just 24.9% in 2023, indicating that more teenagers are struggling to break free from gambling once they start

A worrying trend is the declining age of gambling addiction. Four years ago, high school students (ages 17 to 19) made up 80.5 percent of those seeking help, but that number has dropped to 55 percent this year.

Meanwhile, the percentage of secondary school students (aged 14-16) has grown from 12.8% in 2020 to 20.6%.

A worrying trend is the declining age of gambling addiction. Getty Images Bank

Given the increased influence of peers at younger ages, experts warn that gambling addiction could spread more easily among younger teenagers.

The type of game is also changing. While the use of sports betting among teenagers has dropped dramatically from 48.2% in 2020 to 9.2% this year, online casino participation has increased almost 14 times, from 8.9% in 2020 to 59% this year.

Online casinos are particularly harmful because of their accessibility via smartphones and the immediacy of results compared to other forms of gambling, which makes them more addictive for teenagers.

Cho called for stricter crackdowns and tougher penalties for illegal betting sites, as well as stronger efforts to shut down and block access to such platforms.

“Given that gambling is currently not included in the addiction prevention education offered in schools at the discretion of principals, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Education must collaborate to strengthen political cooperation and quickly amend relevant regulations,” he said. .

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.