The Office of Education in Gyeonggi Province has formalized a partnership with South Korea's Gambling Control Commission (KGCC) through a new agreement aiming to prevent youth gambling. Signed on Monday at Osan Seongho Middle School, this memorandum of understanding seeks to address concerns about increased gambling exposure among students, particularly through smartphones.
The newly established partnership will integrate gambling prevention education into existing school initiatives, utilizing a dual strategy that combines efforts to limit smartphone access with educational programs. Specifically, the initiative will incorporate a “phone free” approach alongside RAS activities, which stands for reading, arts, and sports. This is designed to provide students with structured, screen-free options to engage their time and reduce exposure to gambling content available on their devices.
The KGCC, which falls under the prime minister’s office and is responsible for overseeing gambling regulation and monitoring illegal gambling, will work closely with the Gyeonggi education office. Their collaboration includes policy coordination, student protection measures, and the sharing of educational resources and prevention experts. Plans also call for a detailed analysis of operational data, the development of pilot programs, and the creation of a model for potential national implementation.
This initiative is rooted in a commitment to a sustained, school-centered approach to preventing youth gambling. The focus will shift away from transient campaigns toward embedding gambling prevention within regular school activities. By combining restrictions on smartphone usage with engaging RAS efforts, the initiative aims to effectively block and enrich the time students typically might spend being exposed to gambling material.
At the memorandum signing, Gyeonggi education chief An Min-seok highlighted the urgency of the issue, stating, “To effectively respond to youth gambling problems, close cooperation between the Office of Education, which best understands the school environment, and specialized prevention and treatment institutions is necessary.” He further expressed his hope that this agreement would lead to actionable policies rather than becoming just a ceremonial event.
In this context, South Korea aligns itself with other countries, such as Ireland, which recently launched a national campaign designed to assist parents and guardians in recognizing and addressing issues of underage gambling through various media channels.
