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Police to Eradicate Youth Gambling... Comprehensive Response to Begin in May

Juvenile Gambling Offenders Increase 2.3 Times in One Year

The National Police Agency announced on the 3rd that it will intensively promote youth gambling prevention activities starting in May, which is designated as 'Youth Month.'


According to the National Police Agency, the number of juvenile offenders (aged 14 to under 19) criminally charged with gambling offenses last year was 171, a 2.3-fold increase compared to the previous year (74), with the majority being male youths (92.4%).


Although high school students (64) outnumbered middle school students (32), the average age was 16.1 years, showing a steady decline over the past five years, indicating that gambling crimes are spreading to younger age groups.


By type of gambling, cyber gambling such as Baccarat and Sports Toto, which typically end within 10 seconds per game, accounted for the largest share at 84.8%. The most common gambling venue was PC bangs (56.7%), and the majority of crimes involved illegal gambling using personal computers and smartphones.

Police to Eradicate Youth Gambling... Comprehensive Response to Begin in May

The National Police Agency stated that recently, gambling offenses have not only remained simple but have also spread to school violence issues such as extortion among youths to raise gambling funds, as well as secondary derivative crimes like internet fraud and proxy deposits, highlighting the need for strong countermeasures.


Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, declared the eradication of gambling problems as the 5th promise of the 'National Perception Pledge' and announced plans to respond strictly and comprehensively to the rapidly worsening illegal youth gambling problem since last year.


Accordingly, based on the analysis of juvenile gambling cases charged and referred last year, the police have established the '2024 Youth Gambling Prevention and Recidivism Prevention Plan' and will conduct strong crackdowns to ensure the public can tangibly feel the effects.


First, a special intensive period for youth gambling crime prevention education will be operated until the end of June to raise awareness among students and out-of-school youths. Additionally, educational materials will be produced and distributed to parents to inform them of the seriousness of youth gambling crimes and encourage their interest in prevention.


To induce nationwide interest and participation in eradicating youth gambling crimes, short-form videos will be produced, and in cooperation with educational authorities, these will be made available to over 8,000 schools and 6 million parents and students through the Alimi(e) app, with active promotion via the National Police Agency’s social media channels.


For minor juvenile offenders, various policies supporting rapid education and social reintegration will also be promoted. The 'Addictive Crime Juvenile Offender Guidance Program,' tailored by age and crime type, will be piloted regionally, and a nationwide collaboration system will be established with the Korea Center on Gambling Problems Prevention and Treatment to expand 'Gambling Prevention Specialist Instructor On-site Education' for juvenile offenders nationwide.


Minor gambling offenders and first-time juvenile offenders will be actively linked to the 'Guidance Review Committee,' which comprehensively assesses the nature of the offense and the amount involved to decide on warnings, summary trials, or charges, and if necessary, provide support in living, counseling, medical, and legal areas.

Police to Eradicate Youth Gambling... Comprehensive Response to Begin in May

When investigating juvenile offenders with a high risk of recidivism, a 'Specialist Participation System' involving criminal psychologists will be used to conduct tailored guidance by comprehensively analyzing and assessing the crime environment, delinquency factors, and recidivism risk.


School police officers will designate juvenile gambling offenders as 'at-risk youths,' conducting weekly interviews for three months after arrest, followed by a re-evaluation about one month before or after the end of the interviews to decide whether to extend them, thereby strengthening post-management of juvenile offenders.


Furthermore, to prevent proxy deposit damages that continuously target youths, warnings will be issued, and the '7th Proxy Deposit Warning,' a new type of alert activity to inform youths and parents of risks when new types of crimes are expected, will be issued to prevent further victimization.


Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun of the National Police Agency said, “Online illegal gambling, which is rapidly spreading due to smartphones, is making the future of youths even more dangerous, causing us great concern,” and added, “We will make every effort to prevent recidivism and promote prevention of juvenile offenders by actively utilizing the strengthened police guidance system.”


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