Subtitled News: "Assaulted Mother Over Gambling Debt" — A Reality Check? 48 Students at a Single School Confess to 'Cyber Gambling'

A recent month-long police initiative encouraging voluntary reporting of youth cyber gambling has revealed a severe addiction crisis, with as many as 48 students from a single school coming forward to admit their involvement.

Across the country, a total of 294 voluntary reports were filed, with the highest number of reports coming from Gangwon Province.

In that region alone, 78 students turned themselves in, including 48 from one high school in Gangwon and 20 from a neighboring school.

The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency actively utilized direct messaging, a platform familiar to teenagers, as a means for voluntary reporting, distributing business cards for school police officers that included their Instagram IDs.

Cases of gambling addiction leading to secondary crimes or the breakdown of families have also continued to emerge.

In Incheon, a 15-year-old male student assaulted his mother after spending 30 million won on gambling and being refused help to pay off his debts; he later attempted to take his own life before turning himself in.

In North Jeolla Province, a 17-year-old was caught repeatedly breaking into vehicles to raise funds for gambling.

According to the National Police Agency, the average duration of gambling among the students who voluntarily reported was one year, with an average stake of 3 million won. Some students were found to have wagered as much as 60 million won.

By gender, male students accounted for the vast majority at 93%, and the proportion of middle school students reached 40%, indicating a trend of gambling starting at an increasingly younger age.

The government has decided to extend the voluntary reporting period for youth cyber gambling until the end of August.

Any teenager under the age of 19 or their guardian can report through the 117 School Violence Reporting and Counseling Center.

The police plan to provide full support for addiction treatment by connecting students who voluntarily report to professional institutions, and they intend to show maximum leniency by considering the students' attitudes toward repentance and their progress in treatment.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Jang Yu-jin | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.