South Korea mulls task force to stop citizens from gambling abroad
Tourism scholars and regulatory experts have called for the creation of a centralised task force to monitor and control gambling by Korean nationals abroad, amid growing concerns over addiction, legal grey areas, and rising financial outflows.
The proposals were put forward during a high-level policy forum jointly hosted by The Korea Times and the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea (TOSOK) on 11 June 2025 in Seoul. The event brought together academics, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to examine the growing prevalence of overseas gambling and propose stronger regulatory frameworks.
Calls for collaboration with Interpol
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Lee Jae-seok of Gangneung-Wonju National University described overseas gambling as a “blind spot in current gambling regulations” and urged for coordinated oversight mechanisms, possibly in collaboration with Interpol.
South Korea enforces some of the world’s most rigid anti-gambling laws. Citizens are permitted to gamble only under narrowly defined circumstances—primarily at the government-run Kangwon Land 바카라 or designated horse racing tracks. Crucially, the country’s Criminal Act allows for the prosecution of gambling even when it occurs legally abroad, if it is deemed habitual or profit-motivated.
“There is no clear legal definition of what constitutes overseas gambling,” noted Lee Jin-sik, Secretary General of the National Gambling Control Commission. “We urgently need updated criteria to distinguish between casual tourists and habitual gamblers.”
The scale of the issue is stressed by data. In 2017, Korean nationals were estimated to have spent ₩4.9 trillion (around €3.3 billion) on gambling overseas—more than double the figure recorded in 2011.
Spontaneous rise in illegal betting
But attention is increasingly shifting to the explosive growth in illegal online gambling. According to the Commission, cases of unlawful betting via digital platforms nearly tripled between 2019 and 2023, from around 13,000 to over 39,000. These platforms now account for more than 80 percent of all gambling violations.
In 2023 alone, authorities processed 48,648 surveillance reports related to illegal gambling activities. Already in 2024, 32,309 cases have been logged, including thousands involving online betting, unlicensed 바카라s, and sports betting.
Financially, the illicit market is staggering. Between 2018 and 2022, illegal gambling revenue rose from ₩70 trillion to ₩102 trillion—a 26 percent increase in just five years. Online gambling, specifically, is booming. According to Statista, the sector is expected to hit $879 million (€881 million) in 2024 and reach $967 million (€1 billion) by 2025, with annual growth exceeding 5 percent.
And so, experts believe that without explicit legal definitions and a permanent regulatory body, Korea risks falling behind in the face of rapidly evolving gambling trends.
