TLDR South Korea arrested 267 teens for cyber gambling from January to July 2026. That number already tops the 266 teens arrested in all of 2025. Southern Gyeonggi had the most arrests, followed by Busan and Seoul. Online casino games were the top choice among young gamblers in a 2025 survey. A lawmaker wants schools to measure whether gambling prevention lessons work.
Teen arrests for cyber gambling in South Korea have already passed last year’s total. The increase came within the first seven months of 2026.
Data submitted to the Korean National Police Agency shows 267 teenagers were arrested from January to July this year. That is one more than the 266 teens arrested in all of 2025.
The figures were part of a report titled “Status of teenage suspects in cyber gambling by city and province, Jan.-July 2021-2026.” Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Jun-hyeok, who sits on the Education Committee, submitted the report on Sept. 27.
The data has raised concerns about how easily teenagers can access cyber gambling.
Arrest Numbers Have Risen and Fallen
The number of teen suspects has changed a lot in recent years. Authorities arrested 116 teens in 2021, and the number fell to 87 in 2022.
Arrests rose to 170 in 2023. They then jumped to 749 in 2024 before falling to 266 in 2025.
The 2026 figures show arrests are climbing again after last year’s drop.
Southern Gyeonggi had the most arrests this year, with 50 teen suspects. Busan was second with 36, and Seoul was third with 33.
North Chungcheong recorded 20 arrests. Northern Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong each had 18.
Online Casino Games Top Youth Preferences
Cyber gambling is seen as a form of gambling that teens can reach with relative ease. Many types of online platforms