A common past time for South Koreans is gambling. Gambling is difficult in the country, nevertheless, due to legislative restrictions. Citizens should be aware of where and how to gamble.
One of the Asian nations that has gained prominence recently, especially with the younger population, is Korea. Korea has gained popularity as a result of the growing international interest in Korean pop culture. The gaming business in Korea is one of its main draws.
According to Chapter 23 of the Criminal Act of South Korea, gambling for financial or material gain is prohibited. In order to accommodate the legalization of several betting activities in the nation, the gambling law underwent a number of revisions.
In North Korea, locals are not allowed to gamble. Only tourists are legally permitted to gamble on a strictly regulated basis.
In Korea, there are roughly 23 actual 카지노사이트, although only the Sangwon Casino permits patrons to wager. In South Korea, casinos are designed for visitors, and anyone caught gambling may face harsh penalties. The nation has enacted strict regulations to control gaming. When they return home, South Koreans who were caught gambling abroad face incarceration.
South Koreans can place bets on motorcycle, bicycle, and horse races as well as take part in lotteries. An Jung Su, one of our experts, provides a detailed explanation of how to gamble in a South Korean casino.
Legal Landscape
Gambling has gradually ingrained itself into Korean culture since since the American-controlled region of Korea chose to split from the Soviet-controlled North to form the Republic of Korea at the end of World War II.
In the past, the Korean Peninsula had liked placing bets on local board games and sports like janggi, which is comparable to chess, and ssireum (similar to sumo wrestling). However, the establishment of a new administration brought harsh gambling regulations; under the “Habitual Overseas Gambler” statute, residents were prohibited from gambling both inside and outside of their own country. Over the years, physical rules have been steadily loosened; nevertheless, same cannot be true of online gambling.
Although it is forbidden for a business or individual to operate an internet casino within the nation, residents are nevertheless permitted to gamble online at bookmaker and casino sites headquartered abroad. People are able to register at websites like Ladbrokes and 888, which permit Korean players and are beyond the purview of South Korean legislation, despite the stringent limitations on Korean websites.
However, due to the government’s efforts to forbid access, connections to these sites can be erratic. As a result, South Korean players frequently create an e-wallet and use a VPN service to conceal their true identities in order to get around these restrictions.
Although the government estimates that the whole market for illegal gambling to be worth US$66 billion in 2012, numerous South Korean businesses nevertheless decide to launch online sports betting and casino operations. Given that the South Korean authorities have recently conducted a number of high-profile raids on illegal online betting networks, the majority of businesses have determined that this is a risky business.
Are Koreans Allowed to Gamble?
Casino gambling is not permitted for Koreans, with one exception that I’ll disclose later. Do not undervalue this as it influences the entire gaming culture in this country.
Even when going outside of South Korea, residents are not permitted to gamble at casinos. This astounding overreach is not just in the gambling industry, though. For instance, South Koreans are prohibited from using any narcotics when abroad, even if marijuana is legal there.
Additionally, the penalties are harsh. If detected at a casino abroad, South Koreans could spend up to three years in prison. Gambling, however, finds a way. For those who enjoy playing games of chance, there are a ton of options available. Many types of wager-based gambling are available to South Koreans and foreigners alike.
Horse racing, boat racing, dog racing, lotteries, and a variety of scratch tickets are among them. For instance, Seoul Race Park, a 40,000-seat betting arena about 20 kilometers south of Seoul, is one of the most well-liked gambling locations for Koreans. Seoul has even developed into a venue for prestigious events like the Asian Poker Tour, which is frequently held at one of the city’s biggest casinos.
Betting Regulations in South Korea?
According to Article 246 of the Criminal Act, anyone found participating in gambling for the purpose of making money faces a fine of up to five million won.
Gambling for recreational purposes is permitted. Those who fall under the category of chronic gamblers face a fine of up to 20 million won or a prison term of up to three years. No matter where they play, all Korean citizens must abide by the aforementioned betting laws.
To the dismay of many, the legislation is severely enforced even when gambling is done outside of the nation’s borders. Even if they gamble in Macau or Las Vegas, Koreans still risk penalties and prison terms. Currently, it is acceptable to wager on horse and bicycle races, as well as basketball, baseball, football, golf, volleyball, and ssirum, traditional wrestling, which is recognized as the nation’s sport.
The locals can also participate in a variety of lotteries. Despite the nation’s abundance of physical casinos, many South Korean residents lack easy access to casinos and poker rooms.
There are three horse racing tracks and 30 land-based casinos in the nation. Even while there may seem to be a lot of casinos, they are only there for tourists to enjoy themselves. Despite having limited access to sports betting, the odds that citizens receive are inferior to those that online gamblers can obtain. Online betting is therefore very common among the locals.
The Gambling Laws of North Korea
Gambling regulations in North Korea, which is renowned for having an exceptionally rigid and autocratic regime, are the same as those in South Korea. In a similar vein, locals cannot gamble. On the other hand, visitors are permitted to partake in any betting activities in the nation.
In actuality, Macau and Hong Kong-based Chinese investors once owned a number of casinos in North Korea. Since gambling is prohibited in China, the government set up these casinos in an effort to attract more Chinese visitors. The only casino in North Korea is in Pyongyang, which serves as the nation’s capital. There were two casinos open and running in the nation during the beginning of the 1990s.
One is the Pyongyang Casino and Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang, while the other is the Seaview Casino Hotel near Rajin-Sonbong, not far from the Chinese border. Both are still in operation today.
The huge popularity of gambling among wealthy Chinese people brought in money for the nation. But as more money came in, corruption increased. A number of Chinese officials bet at the casino, lost everything, and then embezzled substantial sums of money. This led to the Seaview Casino Hotel’s closure and a resulting prohibition on crossing into North Korea.
In North Korea, playing online poker is practically impossible. The general public’s access to the internet is strictly regulated by the government. The Kwangmyong are those who can access the World Wide Web.
The websites they can access are censored even though they have access. It’s interesting to note that the state-run internet service protocol does not ban numerous online gambling websites.
However, it is not advised because it is illegal and subject to real-life prosecution. It might be ideal for foreign tourists to play at Pyongyang’s one and only casino. North Koreans also enjoy sports. But it’s best to avoid talking about sports betting. People who are caught breaking the law will suffer consequences.
Since gambling is legal for visitors, tourists can wager on sports, but they’ll require good fortune to locate any bookmakers in the nation. They are unfamiliar with online sports betting as well.
Legal Forms of Gambling in Korea
Casinos
There are casinos throughout the nation that are only open to visitors. Before being admitted, expats and foreign tourists must provide their passports. Vietnamese, South Koreans, and Nepalese citizens cannot enter unless they are employed there. There is only one casino in the area that locals can visit: the Kangwon Land Resort and Casino in the Gangwon-do province’s Jeongseongun County.
Although it is illegal for Koreans to gamble for financial gain, this casino has been allowed because the province was once a combat zone. The establishment of a casino served to boost the economy and offer leisure activities.
The government reasoned that locating the casino in a remote area would deter its salaried inhabitants from taking a weekend or overnight excursion. But they were mistaken; the casino receives up to 10,000 Korean visitors each day. For some, the wait for a table can sometimes be very long. Foreigner groups can make reservations for tables in advance.
Horse Racing
The oldest form of legal gambling in South Korea is wagering on horse racing. Pari-mutuel betting on horse races is available to locals and is managed by the Korean Racing Authority (KRA). Only 100,000 is the largest wager allowed, and only 16 percent of the pot is returned to the winner. Sadly, the chances aren’t as good as they are for most international races.
Lottery
In the nation, there are many different sorts of lotteries. The House Lotto, the first official lottery, debuted in 1969 and ran for 20 years. Then, in 1990, Korean Instant Lottery Scratch Cards were released.
The 6/45 lottery rose to prominence at the turn of the 20th century as the most played lottery in the nation. An online lottery with 45 balls is called the South Korea 6/45 Lottery. Seven of these balls are selected, and players can only select six numbers on lottery tickets. When the seventh number is drawn, a third ball is added.
Every Saturday night, there is a weekly lottery drawing. One ticket is one thousand. Lottery winners are subject to taxation by the government, which levies a 22 percent rate for prizes up to $50 million and a 33 percent rate for prizes over $50 million.
The Pension 520 Lottery, also known as the Bok-Kwon Lottery, is another lottery that is gaining popularity. This lottery, which was only established in July 2011, draws every Wednesday and employs pre-printed tickets. No matter how much money is won in the jackpot, Bok-Kwon has set odds and a low tax rate of just 22%.
Why gambling should be legalized in South Korea
Gambling is a lucrative industry that has drawn several investors from around the world. Some investors are prepared to put their riches and lives at risk for the gambling sector in South Korea despite the country’s tight regulations. $43.6 billion was the total amount of gambling revenue in the US.
By the end of 2021, the US gambling sector is anticipated to reach $44 billion. Additionally, the sector has given many people in the nation jobs. States in Canada that formerly prohibited gambling have begun to tolerate it. Poland has introduced proposals into parliament with the goal of amending the rigid regulations that govern gambling. The gaming industry in South Korea should be opened gradually rather than all at once.
To combat gambling addiction, the Korean government is enacting strict regulations. On the other hand, it need to promote responsible gambling and educate gamblers about the negative impacts of gaming.
Overview
With the adoption of the first piece of legislation outlawing all forms of gambling by the Korean government, the history of gambling laws in South Korea officially began. The law became operative in November 1961. However, the Korean government changed it in 1962 to exclusively let foreigners to gamble in order to increase international tourist receipts.
Gambling laws in Korea were too stringent and the definition of gambling was unclear to draw in tourists from other countries. At order to increase tourism revenues, a change was made that made it legal for foreigners to gamble in casinos, which were designated as exclusive tourist destinations for foreigners.