Faker becomes an honorary Korean police officer to help discourage online gambling
League of Legends player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok has been appointed an honorary police officer by South Korea’s National Police Agency and will promote efforts to prevent online gambling among young people. The role uses one of esports’ most prominent figures to encourage early reporting and treatment, highlighting official concern about cyber-gambling.
Faker will appear in videos and posters for the Youth Cyber Gambling Voluntary Reporting System, which began in May and had received 806 self-reports by the article’s publication. People who report themselves can receive counselling, an addiction assessment and treatment, with police considering leniency according to factors including gambling amounts, remorse and treatment progress. Faker has won a record six League of Legends world titles, while Riot Games began allowing betting sponsorships for top-tier teams in the US and EMEA in 2025.
In short
- Faker will promote youth cyber-gambling prevention in South Korea.
- The reporting scheme had received 806 self-reports.
- Participants can access treatment and potentially receive leniency.
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The case for
The voluntary reporting system represents pragmatic public health policy that prioritises treatment over punishment. By using a respected figure like Faker to promote the scheme and offering counselling, addiction assessment and potential leniency for self-reporting, South Korea incentivises early intervention when young people struggle with gambling addiction. The 806 self-reports since May suggest the approach is working, and research supports voluntary reporting with treatment access as an effective harm-reduction strategy that encourages people to seek help rather than hide their problem.
The case against
The honorary police appointment raises questions about instrumentalising celebrity figures and blurring the distinction between law enforcement and entertainment promotion. If self-reporting guarantees potential leniency, this may undermine legal consequences as a genuine deterrent to gambling. More fundamentally, there is an apparent contradiction: Riot Games has simultaneously expanded betting sponsorships in esports whilst Faker campaigns against gambling, suggesting the initiative may be public relations rather than addressing systemic incentives that normalise gambling within competitive gaming itself.
Explained simply
Faker is one of the world's most successful professional video game players, having won six League of Legends world championships, and remains hugely influential within gaming communities worldwide. South Korea's National Police Agency has appointed him to help tackle a growing problem amongst young people: addiction to online gambling.
South Korea is concerned about the rising number of young people developing gambling problems through easily accessible but difficult to regulate websites and apps. The government has created a voluntary reporting system that offers counselling and support to those who come forward, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage early help-seeking rather than relying on punishment.
Faker was chosen for this role because his credibility within gaming communities makes him more persuasive to at-risk young people than conventional public health warnings. He will appear in videos and promotional materials for the reporting system to encourage young people struggling with gambling to seek support.
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