Teen gambling has already passed a dangerous threshold, yet the regional education office’s approach—largely distributing prevention materials—is not keeping pace with how quickly the problem is spreading on the ground.
Reporting that tracked youth gambling revealed the issue is far from mere misbehavior. Small bets made out of peer curiosity are quickly funneled to illegal gambling sites.
In particular, organized so-called "chongpan" networks—master-distributor operations—have become a primary conduit for recruiting teens. They use social media and messaging apps to reach young people, encouraging sign-ups and enticing peers with promises of easy earnings.
Education authorities produce prevention materials and distribute them to schools. They also run teacher training and awareness campaigns.
On paper, parts of a response system exist. But school and community professionals say those measures are insufficient.
The materials focus on warning about the risks of gambling, yet they offer limited tools to block recruitment or to intervene during the early stages of addiction.
The central problem is timing. In many cases, schools and agencies only act after students have already been exposed to gambling. Counseling and disciplinary measures follow, but much of the harm has already occurred.
Reporting and case-management systems also operate in silos. With responses centered on individual incidents, patterns of repeat behavior and accumulating risks are often not assessed. Information sharing among schools, the education office, and law enforcement remains limited.
Field officials we interviewed say authorities typically respond only after problems surface. "There were warning signs, but we couldn't stop it," was a repeated refrain.
The rise in youth gambling has prompted calls for broader societal action. Educators and parent groups are demanding mandatory prevention education.
Lawmakers are pursuing related legislation, but it will take time before those policy changes produce tangible effects in schools.
/Choi Jun-hee, Social Affairs Reporter, Gyeonggi Headquarters
