Serious Issue of Online 'Gambling Content' Targeting Cheongsonyeon
YouTube, TikTok Have No Sanctions... Risk Level of Gambling Debt
Adolescent gambling, as dangerous as drug abuse, is rapidly increasing. Despite the sharp rise, regulations have not yet been properly established, allowing accessibility through platforms like YouTube and smartphones to grow day by day.
According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of adolescents receiving hospital treatment for gambling addiction was 65 in 2018, 93 in 2019, 98 in 2020, 127 in 2021, and 114 in 2022. This year, the number has already exceeded 110 by August.
The National Police Agency conducted a special crackdown on cyber gambling targeting adolescents from September 25 to November 10 this year, arresting 353 individuals (8 detained), including 39 adolescents.
The main routes through which adolescents are lured into gambling were mostly through friends or acquaintances (67.6%), followed by online gambling advertisements (18.9%), and financial greed or curiosity (13.5%).
The undisclosed numbers are even higher. According to the 2023 Youth Internet and Smartphone Usage Habit Survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the number of adolescents at risk of cyber gambling was 28,838. Male students (20,399) were about twice as likely to be at risk compared to female students (8,439).
The problem is that their deviance is not limited to gambling. Illegal adolescent gambling leads to secondary crimes such as drug delivery and voice phishing to raise gambling funds. Additionally, some have had their personal information stolen after inquiring about loans on loan brokerage platforms, and others have taken high-interest small loans and, unable to repay gambling debts, have resorted to extreme measures, spreading harm like wildfire, according to experts.
The increased accessibility, almost within arm’s reach, is also an issue. The Youth Media Environment Protection Center has deleted about 39,000 illegal online gambling sites and social media posts in 2021, about 124,000 in 2022, and about 260,000 from January to September this year. However, overseas platforms like YouTube and TikTok cannot be regulated, and simply searching for illegal gambling on these platforms brings up hundreds of related videos.
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According to the Youth Media Environment Protection Center’s inspection of the online environment, illegal gambling promotions were the most numerous. Compared to last year, they have surged by about 1.5 to 3 times.
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