[2023 National Audit] Illegal Sports Gambling Arrests Double in 3 Years

The number of arrests related to illegal sports gambling rings has nearly doubled over the past three years.

According to data submitted on the 20th by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation to Jeon Jae-su, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of arrests for illegal sports gambling last year reached 112 cases.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This figure is nearly twice as high as in 2019 (67 cases) and represents the highest number in the past five years. As of August this year, 99 arrests have already been recorded, suggesting that this year's total will surpass the previous record.

The actual number of investigation requests is higher, as not all cases have resulted in arrests. In 2021, there were 157 investigation requests for illegal sports gambling, and last year the number was 192. The arrest rates for these years were both in the 50% range.

The number of patients addicted to illegal sports gambling and those seeking counseling has also increased significantly. According to data submitted to Assemblyman Jeon by the Korea Center on Gambling Problems Prevention and Treatment, the number of counseling cases for gambling addiction was 11,287 in 2018 and rose sharply to 22,379 last year.

Notably, among the 22,379 counseling cases, 1,460 (6%) were teenagers. As of August this year, 1,406 teenagers have already sought counseling, indicating the highest figure to date. The number of youth gambling addiction counseling cases has increased approximately 28 times, from 51 in 2015 to 1,406 this year.

Assemblyman Jeon stated, "Illegal sports gambling destroys daily life and even ruins the future of young people," adding, "There is a need for legal and institutional reforms that can effectively respond to the illegal gambling industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.