Survey: Korean teenagers are starting to gamble at an increasingly younger age

The latest survey results released by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Wednesday (January 28th) showed that the phenomenon of gambling among Korean teenagers has sharply increased, and more and more students are exposed to or involved in online gambling.

This survey of 34,779 students found that 20.9% of them had witnessed gambling activities. This proportion is more than twice the expected level in 2025.

The proportion of students involved in gambling has risen from 1.5% to 2.1%. Most cases involve online platforms, and smartphones are the primary devices used.

Peer influence is the most common mode of contact, followed by exposure to digital advertising. The age at which people start gambling is continuously decreasing, and the proportion of fifth graders who have their first gambling experience is the highest.

The police said that a small portion of the respondents obtained gambling funds through means such as extortion, fraud or school violence, which indicates that they might be involved in other criminal activities.

Approximately 14% of the respondents admitted to being heavily in debt, and some of these debts were incurred through informal or illegal means.

The results of this survey indicate that schools and local education authorities are facing increasing pressure to deal with various digital risks that affect students.

The officials pointed out that the rise of online gambling has exacerbated concerns about mental health, classroom safety, and the widespread influence of social media.

The police plan to collaborate with the Seoul Education Department from February to April to carry out a coordinated prevention and monitoring operation, aiming to block illegal gambling websites, track suspicious accounts, and expand counseling services for minors.

After the new semester begins, the school security personnel will also carry out targeted prevention publicity activities.