CreatripTeam

South Korea’s illegal gambling industry exceeded 103 trillion won (about US$77 billion) in 2022, but enforcement remains limited with only 32 dedicated monitoring staff. Reports show on-site illegal gambling reports rose from 217 in 2020 to 909 in 2024, and online reports grew from 20,928 to 50,439. Economic hardship and a “get-rich-quick” mindset are driving users toward accessible online illegal gambling. Youth involvement is surging: prosecutions of underage gamblers climbed from 74 in 2022 to 597 in 2024, and a recent police crackdown found 47.3% of arrests were under 19. Although the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism slightly increased the monitoring agency’s budget for 2026, most new funds are for rewards and research, while the online monitoring system budget was frozen. Lawmakers warn that without more enforcement staff and structural changes — including possible independent operation of the illegal gambling reporting center — South Korea risks deeper social addiction and related crimes (for example, employment scams tied to gambling mentality).