A total of 2,925 individuals, including 12 teenagers accused of operating illegal online gambling sites, were caught during a six-month crackdown in South Korea said to have targeted Internet-based betting marketed to young people.
Two of the total netted were below teen age, being elementary school pupils. One was a nine-year-old said to have bet KRW10,000 (US$7.3).
Additionally, 75 adults were formally arrested and KRW61.9 billion in “criminal proceeds” confiscated during the enforcement effort from September 25 last year up to March 31 this year.
The authorities plan to start a new six-month crackdown in May, and “clamp down on illegal harmful content online,” Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday, citing the National Office of Investigation.
A total of 1,035 in the latest roundup were youngsters, with 566 from that cohort referred to “counselling centres”. Among the youngsters, there were also 798 high school students, 228 middle school students and seven university students.
They were mostly recruited for illegal online gambling via smartphone messages, and online and social media advertising, according to the police.
The authorities said the investigation indicated young people had been able easily to register for play, needing only a bank account under their name to pay for gambling.
By type of gambling, 434 teens, or 41.9 percent of the total, said they had played baccarat. A further 17.1 percent played other kinds of casino game, while 14.7 percent played “powerball or slot machines”. Sports gambling had been pursued by 19.8 percent of those identified.
The gambling-related activity of the remaining 6.5 percent was not mentioned in the report.
