Of almost 3,000 people apprehended for illegal online gambling in South Korea, 1,035 were teenagers, according to Asia Gaming Brief. The news was disclosed by the country’s National Office of Investigation (NOI).
Some 75 adults were arrested, a dozen teens were accused of operating illegal iGaming platforms, and six were found to be marketing the sites. More than 560 teens were sent to counseling centers for assistance.
Investigators believe middle school and high school students are introduced to online gambling through smartphone messages, internet ads and social media platforms.
They said it’s too easy for young people to register on the sites, and need only a bank account in their name to play. Even pre-teens were found to be gambling online, including a nine-year-old said to have bet KRW10,000 (US$7.30).
The report further disclosed that, among teenagers, baccarat was the most popular game, with 41.9 percent of teen players taking part. Sports betting came in second, at 19.8 percent, followed by online casino games (17.1 percent), and the Powerball lottery and online slots (14.7 percent).
During the operation, which began last September and continued through March, law enforcement seized a total of KRW61.9 billion (US $44.9 million) in “criminal proceeds.” Authorities will launch another six-month campaign this month to crack down on the black market industry and protect young people.
