Cases of treatment, counseling for teen gambling jump over 40% in 2025
The number of teenagers who received treatment or counseling for gambling problems surged by more than 40 percent last year, data showed Friday. A total of 5,838 individuals aged 19 and under received counseling or treatment for gambling issues in 2025, marking a 40.9 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the data provided by the National Gambling Control Commission to Rep. Lim…
The number of teenagers receiving treatment or counseling for gambling problems surged by over 40% in 2025, according to data released on Friday. A total of 5,838 individuals aged 19 and under sought counseling or treatment for gambling issues, representing a 40.9% increase from the previous year, according to the National Gambling Control Commission.
The data, shared with Rep. Lim Oh-kyeong of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, revealed that illegal online gambling was the leading cause of gambling-related problems among teenagers, accounting for 57.7% of cases. Of the 24,474 teenagers classified as a high-risk group last year, only 1,235 were referred to the Korea Problem Gambling Agency, a state agency responsible for prevention, counseling, and rehabilitation services for individuals with gambling problems, as reported by Lim Oh-kyeong.
Lim emphasized the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the performance management system of prevention policies to ensure comprehensive protection for teenagers.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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