South Korea Teen Cyber Gambling Cases Surpass 2025 Total in Just Seven Months

South Korean police recorded 267 teenage suspects in cyber gambling cases between January and July 2026, already exceeding the 266 reported during the whole of 2025 and renewing concerns over minors’ access to online gambling.

South Korea has recorded a renewed increase in teenage involvement in cyber gambling, with 267 suspects in their teens apprehended between January and July 2026.

The figure has already surpassed the 266 teenage suspects recorded during the whole of 2025, according to National Police Agency data obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jun-hyeok, a member of the National Assembly’s Education Committee.

The longer-term trend has been volatile. Police recorded 116 teenage cyber gambling suspects in 2021 and 87 in 2022, before the figure increased to 170 in 2023 and surged to 749 in 2024. It then fell sharply last year before rising again in 2026.

Southern Gyeonggi recorded the highest number during the first seven months of this year with 50 cases, followed by Busan with 36, Seoul with 33 and North Chungcheong with 20. Northern Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong each recorded 18.

Separate research from the Korea Center on Gambling Problems illustrates the growing importance of digital products among younger gamblers. Its 2025 Youth Gambling Survey found that 4% of surveyed adolescents had experienced gambling, equivalent to an estimated 157,000 young people nationwide. Online casino games were the most frequently reported online category, followed by mini-games, online card games and sports betting.

The figures have also raised questions about the effectiveness of existing prevention programs in schools. Gambling prevention education is already conducted across the country, but Kim argued that authorities should evaluate not only whether classes take place but whether students understand risks such as lending bank accounts or promoting illegal gambling websites.

The latest police data suggests that youth cyber gambling remains a significant enforcement and education challenge in South Korea. With the 2026 total already above last year’s level before the end of July, authorities are likely to face increasing pressure to combine school-based prevention with tighter action against the online platforms and financial channels that make gambling accessible to minors.