Gambling in South Korea is both legal and illegal as the easing of gambling laws sometime in 1990 still impose restrictions that South Koreans must follow. Even local celebrities cannot escape the penalties imposed on illegal gambling activities. This was exemplified by the gambling charges filed against K-pop artists Yoonhak and Sungjae, who are well known in South Korea as members of the boyband called Supernova.
Although Supernova is currently more active in Japan’s music scene, Yoonhak and Sungjae became the subject of an investigation launched by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency. The investigation led to the filling of illegal gamblling charges in September 2020, as the two K-pop stars were accused of having gambled in Philippine casinos from 2016 and 2018.
The report disclosed that the two K-pop artists had wagered as much 7 up to 50 million Korean won, on baccarat casino table games. Yoonhak and Sungjae were also accused of engaging in online gambling activities. The two though pleaded not guilty to charges of gambling in Philippine casinos but admitted that they had gambled online.
Apparently, South Korea’s gambling laws have confused many of its citizens, which is also one reason why those who are not familiar with the the laws tend to get into trouble. Still, if one is not a citizen of South Korea and only visiting, he or she can engage in gambling in any of the country’s 23 land-based casinos or even in online casinos.
A Brief Overview of South Korea’s Gambling Laws
South Korean citizens wishing to engage in casino gambling recreation can do so legally but only in the state-run Kangwon Land Casino and Resort located at the foot of a skit resort Gangwon Province. Apparently, the casino is not easily accessible to those who live in major cities where other casino establishments are located. It’s not surprising therefore that once in a while, some South Koreans take chances by playing at online casino sites, rather travel far north just to gamble.
Moreover. South Koreans visiting another country, like in the case of Yoonhak and Sungjae, are still prohibited from engaging in gambling activities regardless of where the casino is located.
About Sports Betting in South Korea
Sports toto or sports betting is legal in South Korea but only if bets are wagered through the government-backed Sports Toto. Wagers can be by way of parimutuel or probabilities betting on any of the country’s locally held sports events. Since Sports Toto does not operate online, South Korean gamblers looking to place bets on sports competition held in other countries access the betting markets offered by offshore-licensed sportsbooks through their authorized local counterparts.
Accessing Trustworthy Online Casinos and Sport Betting Sites
Since online gambling is not allowed in the country, South Korean gamblers take extra precaution in choosing an online casino or sportsbook. Aside from checking if the gambling service provider is licensed by reputable foreign-based gambling regulators, they choose online gambling operators supported with mobile gambling apps using Virtual Private Network (VPN). Toto365mania for one, accepts and processes sports wagers by way of Telegram, instead of using an online platform that can be detected through the public Internet network.
