Nearly 3000 South Koreans were apprehended for illicit online gaming activities in the past six months, according to the latest report by the country’s National Office of Investigation (NOI).
Out of the 2925 South Koreans who were apprehended, 1035 were teenagers. While 75 adults were formally arrested, 566 teenagers were referred to counseling centers for assistance. A total of 12 teenagers were accused of operating online gambling platforms, while six were found to be involved in advertising such sites.
The authorities managed to seize a total of KRW 61.9 billion ($44.9 million) during the operation. As per the officials, the investigation has also revealed a trend that shows that most middle and high school students were introduced to online gambling through peer influence, smartphone messages, and advertisements across the internet and social media platforms.
The data also highlights the types of gambling activities favored by the apprehended teenagers. Baccarat emerged to be the most popular, as 41.9 percent of the apprehended teens participated. This was followed by sports betting at 19.8 percent, online casinos at 17.1 percent, and the Powerball lottery and online slot machines at 14.7 percent.
Additionally, South Korean authorities have announced another six-month campaign which is set to commence in May. With the help of such campaigns, the authorities aim to suspend illegal online activities and stop the involvement of teenagers in these activities.