Data shows tripling of illegal online gambling cases in South Korea since COVID

Reported cases of illegal online gambling have almost tripled since 2019, reaching 39,082 nationwide last year according to data from South Korea’s National Gambling Control Commission.

Surveillance of illegal gambling activities has also tripled from 16,662 to 48,648 with illegal online gambling reports accounting for 80.3% of all surveillance activities in 2023, the data shows.

Current statistics suggest instances of illegal online gambling are still on the rise this year, with 32,309 illegal gambling instances reported, including 11,962 illegal cases of sports gambling, 17,733 illegal casinos and 9,507 illegal online gambling sites.

The Korea Times reported that illegal gambling has generated more than KRW102.7 trillion (US$75 billion) over the past five years, representing a 26% increase over the five-year period to 2019.

It also said that more than 100,000 people had received treatment for gambling addiction of which 7,880 were teenagers. The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service also reported that the number of gambling addicts among adolescents under 19 had climbed from 27 recorded in 2015 to 181 this year.

Kangwon Land, the only casino in Korea at which locals are permitted to gamble, stated in a presentation last week that the proliferation of illegal gambling options had been a factor in its sluggish performance post-COVID, suggesting many individuals are choosing to play on illegal online sites rather than make the journey to the remote property in Gangwon Province.