Faker Becomes Honorary Police Officer to Fight Youth Cyber Gambling

Last year, it was announced that Riot Games had decided to allow betting sponsorships in top-tier League of Legends and Valorant, and even though they received mixed reactions, they saw it as a responsible way to address something that was already happening.

On the—ironically—other side, the Seoul Economic Daily announced that Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as "Faker," has become an honorary Korean police officer and will lead activities to prevent cyber gambling among young people.

The Korean National Police Agency declared that Lee is "an e-sports player with high recognition at home and abroad and has consistently practiced the values of self-management and restraint throughout his long career, serving as a role model for young people."

His activities will consist of producing promotional videos and posters for the Youth Cyber Gambling Voluntary Reporting System, which is an initiative that will remain in effect until August. The system works as it sounds; it encourages young people to report their gambling activities themselves, and according to the Seoul Economic Daily, as of July 16th, a total of 806 voluntary reports had been received.

Gambling is illegal for South Korean citizens, with very few exceptions, but even doing it abroad can be a reason for prosecution. Through this reporting system, Korean authorities are trying to help young people recover with different treatment programs.

At first, the young offenders undergo counseling and a gambling addiction assessment. Depending on the amount they've gambled, if they show true remorse and progress, they can be released without charge, or authorities may pursue summary judgment instead.

In April of this year, NPR published a piece talking about the experience of a mother who found out her 19-year-old son had been online gambling for many years. The article also mentions that a national survey found that "36% of boys aged 11 to 17 in the U.S. have gambled in the past year," which points to a growing problem.

It's not surprising that South Korea has created programs that could help reduce online gambling addiction in young people, and having "Faker" as an ambassador is a smart move. As an added incentive, at the ceremony he signed his uniform to give it to those who overcome their addiction.