Faker named honorary Korean police officer to fight youth cyber gambling

Lee Sang-hyeok — Faker — is now an honorary police officer with the Korean National Police Agency, appointed as ambassador for the country's Youth Cyber Gambling Voluntary Reporting System. The program runs until August 31 and has already recorded over 800 self-reports since launching in May.

Faker holds the rank of Senior Officer and will appear in public service videos and posters promoting the reporting system to young people. Those who self-report receive counselling and a gambling addiction assessment before entering a treatment program — police have pledged maximum leniency based on gambling amount, remorse, and treatment progress. As an extra incentive, participants who complete treatment can receive Faker's autographed uniform. The police chose him specifically because, as the agency put it, he has "consistently practiced the values of self-management and restraint" and serves as a role model for youth. Acting commissioner general Yoo Jae-sung said the agency hopes Faker's influence will give young people the courage to report without hesitation.

Faker is the most decorated player in League of Legends history — six world championships, the first coming in 2013, with three more in an undefeated run from 2023 to 2025. Time named him one of the most influential people in sports in 2026, and he's a member of both the ESL Esports Hall of Fame and Riot's LoL Esports Hall of Legends. Beyond esports, he was the first Korean esports athlete to receive the Cheongnyong Medal, he's set to appear on South Korean postage stamps, and he recently debuted on a local Disney+ show — making him one of the country's most recognizable public figures. The appointment lands in a complicated context: Riot Games itself opened up sports-betting sponsorships for Tier 1 LoL and Valorant teams in the US and EMEA roughly a year ago, and the WHO reported in 2024 that nearly 12% of men globally experience some level of harm from gambling.

The campaign puts one of gaming's biggest names directly in the anti-gambling lane, and the autographed uniform incentive is a clever hook aimed squarely at the demographic most likely to know who Faker is. Whether South Korea's government will scrutinize Riot's own betting sponsorships in light of the campaign remains an open question.