Gyeonggi Province’s Office of Education has entered into a youth gambling prevention agreement with South Korea’s Gambling Control Commission (KGCC).
A memorandum of understanding, signed on Monday, aims to tackle rising gambling exposure among schoolchildren through smartphones. The aim is to integrate preventative education with broader school-based initiatives.
Partnership details and focus areas
The agreement was signed at Osan Seongho Middle School and links gambling prevention education with a “phone free” strategy alongside RAS education. RAS is an approach combining reading, arts and sports and is designed to occupy students’ time with structured, screen-free activities.
The dual approach seeks not only to limit access to gambling content on smartphones but also to provide meaningful alternatives that reduce overall reliance on digital devices.
The KGCC, which operates under the prime minister’s office and oversees gambling supervision and the monitoring of illegal gambling activity, will collaborate with the Gyeonggi education office. There will be policy coordination, student protection and the exchange of educational resources and prevention experts.
The partnership also plans to analyse operational data, develop pilot programmes and construct a model for national deployment.
A school-centred, sustained approach to prevention
A systemic policy cooperation mechanism is expected, targeting youth gambling prevention and student safeguarding. Rather than implementing short-term campaigns, the focus will be on embedding gambling prevention into everyday school routines.
It will include combining restrictions on smartphone use with engaging RAS activities to effectively block and fill the time students might otherwise spend being exposed to gambling content.
At the signing ceremony, Gyeonggi education chief An Min-seok emphasised the immediacy of the issue: “To effectively respond to youth gambling problems, close cooperation between the Office of Education, which best understands the school environment, and specialised prevention and treatment institutions is necessary.
He added: “I hope this agreement does not remain a mere event but leads to the implementation of practical policies.”
Korea joins many other markets, including Ireland, which in July initiated a national campaign aimed at helping parents and guardians recognise and respond to underage gambling. The campaign will be disseminated through video-on-demand services, radio, digital audio networks and social media platforms.
Kathryn Evans
Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.
