South Korea records uptick in teen gambling, 40% more ask for treatment

• South Korea’s National Gambling Control Commission presented data uncovering the number of young people who reached out for help due to a gambling problem in 2025
• A total of 5,838 young people, aged 19 or under, sought support and counselling, a figure that suggests a year-over-year increase of nearly 41%
• The biggest share of the young people who sought treatment gambled with illegal companies

More young people and teenagers in South Korea are gambling and need support, a newly released report reveals.

The latest data highlights the number of young people who reached out for help in 2025 and reveals a concerning trend, with cases recording a significant uptick year-over-year.

41% increase in the number of young people seeking gambling-related support

As announced by The Korea Times, in 2025, nearly 6,000 people, aged 19 and under, sought counseling or treatment for gambling-related issues.

The total number, 5,838 people, signals a concerning 40.9% year-over-year increase in the number of young people who sought help due to a gambling problem.

The aforementioned data was presented to Rep. Lim Oh-kyeong by the South Korean National Gambling Control Commission.

Per this data, a total of 24,474 young people fell into the high-risk gambling group in 2025.

However, of that total, only 1,235 received counseling, treatment and support from the Korea Problem Gambling Agency.

According to Lim, the newly released data highlights that the country’s gambling harm prevention policies need an urgent update in order to safeguard the well-being of teenagers.

A breakdown provided by the Commission uncovered that the lion’s share of the young people who experienced gambling-related problems used illegal operators.

The share of young people who were impacted by at-risk or problem gambling after using illegal casinos was 57.7%, most out of any other group.

Illegal gambling companies easily reach young adults, teens and even children thanks to social media.

In many cases, a gambling-related problem may go unnoticed and develop into a serious addiction.

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