Teen gamblers trapped in debt and crime cycle

Teenagers addicted to gambling are caught in a vicious cycle of debt, with some turning to private loans to repay what they owe.

A recent report titled “A Study on the Actual Conditions of Youth Cyber Gambling Experiences” by Lim Ji-yeon, a senior research fellow at the National Youth Policy Institute, found that 12.7 percent of 520 teenagers aged 13 to 19 who engaged in online gambling last year had borrowed money through illegal online loans or high-interest loans from friends to pay off gambling debts.

The report also found that many teenagers engaged in illegal activities to pay off gambling debts, including illegal gambling (57.7 percent), fraud (36.2 percent), theft (22.2 percent), selling personal information (14.3 percent), and violence or intimidation (13.7 percent). A smaller number reported involvement in sexual exploitation or prostitution (5.7 percent), part-time work at adult entertainment venues (5.3 percent), drug delivery (4.2 percent), or voice phishing (2.8 percent).

These figures show that when teenagers with gambling debts do not receive institutional support early, they face a high risk of secondary harm as they try to manage the problem alone. Such harm can include homelessness, running away, threats or violence, and involvement in crime. Lim emphasized the urgent need to establish a one-stop service system for resolving youth gambling debt to prevent teenagers from committing additional crimes under debts they cannot handle.

When asked how they were first exposed to cyber gambling, 62.2 percent of respondents cited friends, the largest share. Digital channels such as illegal banner ads, social networking services, and smartphone text advertisements accounted for 37.6 percent. Middle school students made up 56.4 percent of first-time exposures, high school students 39.6 percent, and elementary school students 4 percent.

By gambling type, private online sports betting was the most common at 44.9 percent, followed by online casino games (41.2 percent), online lotteries (34.5 percent), and online betting games (30.8 percent). The most common reason respondents said they found it difficult to quit gambling was easy access to gambling sites (53.7 percent), followed by the thrill of winning money (44.4 percent), the ability to make money quickly (38 percent), and because friends gamble (38 percent).

Lim emphasized the need for stronger monitoring and reporting systems for harmful online environments and tougher penalties for illegal gambling. She also highlighted the importance of preventive education to help young people recognize the dangers of gambling.


In-Mo Lee imlee@donga.com