South Korean police detained 2,925 people during a six-month crackdown on online gambling aimed at adolescents, the National Office of Investigation said on April 25, 2024. Of those, 1,035, or 35.4 percent, were teenagers1. The operation ran from Sept. 25 to March 31, and police plan to resume the six-month crackdown starting in May1.
Police referred 566 of the 1,035 teenagers to specialized counseling centers, with the consent of the individuals and their parents. Seventy-five adults were formally arrested, and 61.9 billion won in criminal proceeds was confiscated1. The two outlets give the dollar equivalent of that sum differently: The Korea Times reported $44.9 million in one article and $45 million in another1.
By age, the teenagers caught included 798 high school students, 228 middle school students and seven university students. Two elementary school students were also among those detained, the youngest a nine-year-old who bet 10,000 won1. Of the teenage offenders, 1,012, or 97.8 percent, were caught gambling, while 12 were accused of operating online gambling sites1. Police said more than 1,000 financial accounts under adolescents' names were used to manage gambling funds2.
By gambling type, 41.9 percent of the teenagers said they played baccarat, followed by sports gambling at 19.8 percent, casino games at 17.1 percent and powerball or slot machines at 14.7 percent1. Police said middle and high school students mostly reached the sites through invitations from friends, with smartphone messages, online ads and social media promotions also playing a role. They cited simple registration processes, including signing up with a bank account in the teenager's own name or with gift vouchers, as one reason gambling spreads among young people1.
Separately, the Daejeon National Police Agency's cyberinvestigation team identified eight operators of gambling sites who manipulated programs to decide wins and losses quickly, using rules such as odd-even, ladder and penalty kicks. Six were arrested and police identified 33 juvenile gamblers2.
"Given the concerns of youth gambling, we will rigorously enforce the law against both gamblers and operators of gambling sites."
What it means for players
South Korea treats online gambling as illegal for residents, and this crackdown shows enforcement reaching school-age players as well as site operators. The cases described involve teenagers, but the same rules apply to adults: play on online gambling sites can lead to detention, and police have previously arrested players in the region, as documented in cases by jurisdiction. The accounts used to move money are also part of the investigation, with more than 1,000 adolescent accounts identified in this operation2.
For visitors and expats, the practical picture is that police activity is aimed at illegal online sites rather than at licensed venues, which operate under separate rules described in Can I Gamble in South Korea?. Sites that manipulate results, like the ones police said they shut down in Daejeon, are the subject of fake and rigged online casinos, and players who cannot withdraw from an unlicensed site can read what players can do. Illegal sites targeting South Korean users are covered in gambling scams and illegal sites in South Korea.
What happens next
Police plan to resume the six-month crackdown starting in May, clamping down on illegal harmful content online and expanding training to prevent gambling-related crimes1. No end date for the resumed operation has been reported.
