South Korean island communities and famous fishing towns have become a hotbed of illegal gambling activity, police have warned.
The warning comes after police on the island of Wando, South Jeolla Province, confiscated 15 million won (almost $10,000) worth of gambling funds from a clandestine betting group, the South Korean media outlet Maeil Ilbo reported.
Officers said that they have responded by launching an “intensive crackdown on illegal gambling in island areas.”
An official investigation has found a spike in illegal gambling-related activity during peak fishing and aquaculture season in Wando and other nearby islands.
South Korean Fishing Towns’ Gambling Problem
Wando is famous for its abalone and kelp, both of which are often harvested during the summer months.
The rise in activity brings seasonal workers to coastal areas and drives up monetary flows, Wando Police Station officials said on June 22.
This leaves many people, both locals and seasonal employees, with extra cash, police added. Many gamblers are now spending this income on bets in clandestine sessions in village halls, warehouses, ships, and fish farm workshops, officers said.
The station said its crackdowns would focus on areas where it has previously detected gambling activity, with “expanded patrols.”
Officials said they would offer cash rewards to whistleblowers whose tips about gambling rings led to arrests.
They said that gambling hits the finances of entire households. It also leads to petty squabbles, physical altercations, and increases crime rates, police added.
“Our crackdowns will help eradicate the illegal gambling culture in rural and island areas,” a spokesperson said. “Illegal gambling is a crime that undermines the security of the local community.”
Youth Gambling Rates Rise
The announcement comes as the latest Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service 10-year study of alcohol, drug, and gambling addiction in South Korea revealed that gambling addiction rates hit a new all-time high in 2025.
South Korean health centers said they treated over 3,500 betting-addicted residents in 2025, with betting addiction figures rising for the 10th consecutive year.
Youth gambling addiction rates are also on the rise. A recent voluntary reporting period for online school-age gambling addicts saw around 300 school children come forward.
Their number included almost 50 children from a single high school.
The youths said they had spent an average total of 3 million won ($2,000) apiece on online wagers.
One 15-year-old male student said he assaulted his mother and attempted suicide after racking up gambling debts of 4 million won ($2,600).
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