The Gyeonggi Province Office of Education has formed a partnership with South Korea's Gambling Control Commission (KGCC) aimed at preventing youth gambling. This memorandum of understanding, signed on Monday, seeks to address the increasing gambling exposure among students, particularly through smartphones, by integrating preventative education into broader school initiatives.
The agreement, finalized at Osan Seongho Middle School, connects gambling prevention efforts to a phone-free strategy that includes RAS education. RAS stands for reading, arts, and sports, which provides students with structured, screen-free activities, aiming not only to limit smartphone access to gambling content but also to offer meaningful alternatives to reduce their reliance on digital devices.
Under this agreement, the KGCC, which operates under the prime minister's office and is responsible for gambling supervision and monitoring illegal gambling activities, will work closely with the Gyeonggi education office. This collaboration will involve policy coordination, student protection initiatives, and the exchange of educational resources and prevention expertise.
The partnership also aims to analyze operational data, initiate pilot programs, and create a model for potential nationwide deployment.
The focus is on implementing a sustained, school-centered approach to youth gambling prevention rather than solely relying on short-term campaigns. It seeks to embed gambling prevention into the daily routines of schools by restricting smartphone usage while simultaneously engaging students in RAS activities. This dual strategy aims to effectively block exposure to gambling content and fill the free time that students might otherwise dedicate to such activities.
During the signing ceremony, Gyeonggi education chief An Min-seok highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue: “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 expressed hope that the agreement would lead to effective policies rather than being just a ceremonial action.
South Korea’s initiative joins other international efforts, such as in Ireland, which launched a national campaign in July focused on assisting parents and guardians in recognizing and responding to underage gambling. This campaign is being disseminated through a variety of platforms, including video-on-demand services, radio, digital audio networks, and social media.
