Surging Online Gambling... Response System on High Alert

Police Recover 200 Billion Won in Criminal Proceeds Over Past Three Years
KCSC Monitoring Personnel and Budget Remain Stagnant
Jo Incheol: "Neglecting Social Addiction... Calls for Government Cooperation"

Jo Incheol, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Recently, illegal online gambling sites have been spreading at an accelerating pace, while the personnel and budget of public institutions responsible for blocking them have remained stagnant for years, emerging as a serious issue. Despite the increasing social harm caused by illegal gambling, there is criticism that the government's lukewarm response is fostering an environment conducive to crime.

According to an analysis of data submitted by the National Police Agency to Jo Incheol, member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Seo-gu Gap), as of August 2025, the number of investigations related to illegal gambling sites had already reached 2,071 cases, and it is projected to surpass the 2023 level by the end of the year.

In particular, over the past five years, approximately 20,700 individuals have been apprehended, and through special crackdowns by the National Police Agency, at least 200 billion won in criminal proceeds has been recovered over three years. This clearly demonstrates the scale of the illegal gambling market and the severity of the resulting economic losses.

The number of cases reviewed by the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) also more than doubled in three years, from 41,702 cases in 2021 to 85,516 cases in 2024. However, the number of monitoring personnel in the KCSC's Law and Order Protection Team, which is responsible for reviewing illegal gambling, actually decreased from 11 in 2020 to 7 in 2021 and has remained at that level for four consecutive years. There is also no separate budget item allocated for this purpose.

In fact, 96% of all reviews rely solely on "access blocking," and there are criticisms that few substantive measures are being taken to prevent illegal gambling in advance or to encourage voluntary regulation.

Jo Incheol stated, "Online illegal gambling is as addictive as drugs, but the government's response system remains fragmented." He emphasized, "It is necessary to completely re-examine the cooperation system among relevant agencies such as the police, the Korea Communications Standards Commission, and the Ministry of Science and ICT, and to expand dedicated personnel and budgets for constant monitoring." He added, "Illegal gambling should be recognized not just as a cybercrime but as a 'social addiction,' and the system should be fundamentally transformed to block it at its root."