청소년 불법도박 문제 및 대응 방안: 스포츠도박 유무에 따른 취약성 인식 차이 연구 = The Impact of Sports Gambling Experience on the Perception of Vulnerability

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Illegal gambling among adolescents often originates from seemingly innocuous online games but may escalate into severe gambling behaviors and further develop into secondary offenses. These offenses generate substantial threats to public safety, thereby underscoring the necessity of comprehensive responses not only by state authorities but also within the domain of private security. In particular, illegal sports gambling involving baseball and soccer, which enjoy widespread popularity among teenagers, can exert particularly detrimental effects.
This study aims to empirically compare and analyze the differences between adolescents engaged in illegal sports gambling and those involved in general illegal gambling (including casinos, mini-games, card games, etc.) using data from the 2024 Adolescent Gambling Status Survey. Specifically, it investigates whether disparities exist in perceived gambling vulnerability between adolescents with experience in illegal sports gambling and those with experience in general illegal gambling. Furthermore, it examines the extent to which illegal sports gambling experience significantly impacts adolescents' actual vulnerability to gambling.
The findings indicate a statistically significant difference in the mean gambling vulnerability scores between the two groups(mean score for the general illegal gambling group = 6.0 vs. 6.8 for the illegal sports gambling group; t=-3.65, p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis, after controlling for relevant covariates, identified that gender (male), age at initial gambling experience (+), peer pressure toward gambling (+), and illegal sports gambling experience (experienced group) are significant predictors of gambling vulnerability scores. Notably, adolescents with illegal sports gambling experience exhibit a significantly heightened perception of vulnerability compared to their counterparts involved in other forms of illegal gambling.
Therefore, in order to prevent adolescent illegal gambling, it is necessary to implement preventive policies that incorporate not only individual counseling but also group-based counseling interventions.