South Korean youth gambling age drops to average 12.5 years

A recent analysis of the ‘2025 Youth Gambling Survey’ reveals that the average age for adolescents to first encounter gambling is 12.5 years old. According to data provided by the Korea Center on Gambling Problems to National Assembly member Lim O-gyeong, 47.1% of youth who have experienced gambling were first exposed during elementary school.

Common methods of exposure include internet banner and pop-up advertisements (38%), mobile phone text messages (33.6%), and social media (4.6%). Motivations for gambling include perceived fun (58.5%) and playing with friends (32.5%). Notably, the rate of students reporting continuous gambling over the last six months was higher among elementary students (22.6%) than middle schoolers (20.2%) or high schoolers (15.9%).

The report also highlights inefficiencies in current prevention efforts. While the number of prevention education sessions for elementary students increased by nearly 60% between 2024 and 2025, the actual number of students completing the training decreased. Furthermore, 59.9% of students who found the education ineffective cited that the content remains identical every year. Representative Lim O-gyeong emphasized that prevention policies must be adjusted to target the elementary school level and implement systematic performance management to ensure real behavioral change.