South Korean President grills Kangwon Land on gambling addiction
South Korea is likely to enact a new policy to tackle gambling addiction as President Lee Jae-myung (as depicted in the featured image) has called for accurate and precise data from stakeholders. Reportedly, the South Korean President has called for a more rigorous, data-driven approach to gambling policy, warning that decisions based on assumptions or subjective impressions risk underestimating real social harm.
Speaking during a government work briefing in Sejong on 17 December 2025, President Lee questioned officials on how gambling addiction is currently being measured and whether existing statistics accurately reflect the scale of the problem. He stressed that policy responses must be grounded in verified data rather than “feelings” or anecdotal claims.
Kangwon Land pressed over ops
The discussion focused in particular on Kangwon Land, South Korea’s only casino legally open to local residents. The venue, located in a former mining region, has long been seen as both an economic lifeline and a social risk. President Lee referenced media reports suggesting that some gamblers lose all their money and remain stranded near the casino, raising concerns about severe personal and family harm.
“We need to see whether the harms are increasing or decreasing, and what policy efforts are needed.”
– Lee Jae-myung, President, South Korea
When the casino’s acting chief executive argued that addiction trends had improved in recent years, the president pushed back. He said any improvement must be supported by clear statistical evidence, not personal judgment. The CEO later acknowledged that he did not have precise figures to demonstrate whether harm had increased or declined.
President Lee subsequently instructed the Presidential Secretariat to conduct its own independent review of gambling addiction data, signalling a lack of confidence in existing measurements. He also questioned whether prevention initiatives alone were sufficient, saying programmes must be evaluated on measurable outcomes.
Kangwon Land highlighted its Mind Care Centre, which provides addiction counselling and prevention services. However, the president said such efforts must be assessed against national trends to determine whether they are having a real impact.
Data shows rising addiction
Recent data suggests gambling-related harm may be growing at an alarming rate. According to South Korean media reports, the number of people seeking treatment for gambling addiction nearly doubled between 2018 and 2022. Younger age groups are increasingly affected, with teenagers showing the sharpest rise. Figures indicate that the number of minors receiving gambling addiction support more than tripled between 2020 and 2024, with cases now extending to children of primary school age.
Illegal gambling has been growing at an alarming rate. Government figures reveal that reported cases of illegal online gambling have tripled since 2019, with online platforms now making up roughly 80 percent of all enforcement actions. Some estimates put the annual turnover from illegal gambling at over 100 trillion won (€58 billion), dwarfing what the legal market generates.
Police records show a troubling rise in youth participation. Arrests of teenagers for gambling-related offences have climbed sharply over the past two years. According to authorities, illegal online casinos and unlicensed sports betting sites are largely responsible for drawing young people in.
President Lee drew a connection between gambling addiction and wider societal pressures, suggesting it often stems from deeper economic insecurity. He placed gambling in the same category as predatory lending, arguing that both prey on vulnerable individuals clinging to the false belief that their financial troubles will “somehow work out”.
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