Legal casino gambling age in Korea, Republic of
South Korea follows a prohibition model with narrow statutory exceptions. Gambling is a criminal offence under the Criminal Act, and the only lawful forms are those run under specific laws: casinos, horse racing, cycle and motorboat racing, lotteries, the Sports Toto betting scheme and traditional bullfighting. These “speculative industries” are supervised as a group by the National Gambling Control Commission (NGCC). Seventeen casinos are licensed for foreign visitors only; Kangwon Land, in a former coal-mining district of Gangwon Province, is the single casino that Korean citizens may enter. No online casino can be licensed, and Korean law also reaches citizens who gamble abroad.
Key points
- Gambling is an offence under Articles 246–249 of the Criminal Act, punishable by a fine of up to KRW 10 million, and habitual gambling by up to three years’ imprisonment.
- Legal gambling is limited to six sectors created by special statutes and overseen by the NGCC; the sectors’ combined turnover was about KRW 26.0 trillion in 2025.
- Seventeen casinos under the Tourism Promotion Act admit foreigners only. Kangwon Land, authorised by a 1995 special act now extended to 2045, is the only casino open to Korean nationals.
- Betman, run for the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, is the only lawful online sports betting service. Online casinos are not licensable, and illegal betting sites are blocked in large numbers.
- Players are not exempt: betting with unauthorised sports betting sites carries up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 50 million, and Korean nationals have been convicted for habitual gambling abroad.
- The Korea Problem Gambling Agency, formerly the Korea Center on Gambling Problems, runs the 1336 helpline.
Last reviewed: 6 October 2026.
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Historical development
Modern Korean gambling law combines a general criminal ban with a series of state-sanctioned exceptions, each created for a particular public purpose. The first exceptions concerned casinos for foreign visitors, which were intended to earn foreign currency for tourism. Casinos were later brought under the Tourism Promotion Act, which still provides that a casino operator may not “admit any Korean national (excluding emigrants)” (Tourism Promotion Act, Article 28). The Chambers and Partners guide written by lawyers at Kim & Chang describes the foreigner-only rule as the general position, with a single exception (Chambers Gaming Law 2025: South Korea).
That exception arose from economic decline in the coal-mining districts of Gangwon Province. When coal was displaced by oil and gas in the 1990s, the National Assembly passed the Special Act on Assistance to the Development of Abandoned Mine Areas (Act No. 5089 of 29 December 1995). Article 11 allowed a casino in a severely depressed former mining area and exempted it from the ban on admitting Korean nationals. Kangwon Land was founded in 1998 and opened its casino in October 2000. The special act was originally time-limited; GGRAsia reports that it was renewed in 2009 to run until 2025 and amended again in 2021 to run until 2045 (GGRAsia, October 2025).
Other legal forms of gambling, from horse racing to a national lottery, developed under separate statutes, so the government created a single supervisory body. The National Gambling Control Commission Act (Act No. 8279 of 26 January 2007) established the NGCC to coordinate supervision of all six sectors (NGCC Act). In 2013 the Korea Center on Gambling Problems was opened to provide treatment and prevention services, and the national 1336 helpline was launched in November 2013 (Korea Problem Gambling Agency, history).
Legal framework
The Criminal Act
The basic rule is in Chapter XXIII of the Criminal Act, which deals with gambling and lotteries:
- Article 246 (gambling and habitual gambling). A person who gambles may be fined up to KRW 10 million. Gambling “merely for temporary amusement” is excepted. A person who gambles habitually faces imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to KRW 20 million.
- Article 247 (setting up places for gambling). A person who, for gain, sets up a place or space for gambling may be imprisoned with labour for up to five years or fined up to KRW 30 million.
- Article 248 (lottery tickets). Issuing unauthorised lottery tickets carries up to five years’ imprisonment or a KRW 30 million fine; acting as an intermediary carries up to three years or KRW 20 million; buying such tickets carries a fine of up to KRW 10 million.
- Article 249 (concurrent fines). A fine of up to KRW 10 million may be imposed in addition to imprisonment for habitual gambling, running a gambling place or issuing illegal lotteries.
Article 3 of the Criminal Act provides that the Act “shall apply to all Korean nationals who commit crimes outside the territory of the Republic of Korea”. This is the active personality principle: jurisdiction based on the offender’s nationality rather than the place of the act. It is the basis on which Korean nationals can be prosecuted for gambling in casinos abroad, even where those casinos are lawful locally.
Statutory exceptions
Lawful gambling exists only where a special statute authorises it. Article 2 of the National Gambling Control Commission Act (last amended by Act No. 18773 of 18 January 2022) lists six “gaming industries” and the laws that govern them:
- casino business, under the Tourism Promotion Act and the Special Act on Assistance to the Development of Abandoned Mine Areas;
- horse racing, under the Korea Racing Authority Act;
- bicycle and motorboat racing, under the Bicycle and Motorboat Racing Act;
- lottery tickets, under the Lottery Tickets and Lottery Fund Act;
- sports promotion betting tickets (Sports Toto), under the National Sports Promotion Act; and
- bullfighting matches, under the Traditional Bullfighting Match Act.
A further statute, the Act on Special Cases concerning Regulation and Punishment of Speculative Acts, governs smaller “speculative businesses” such as prize draws and certain gaming machines, which need a permit. The Act defines a speculative act as one that collects property from many persons and determines gain or loss “by coincidental means”. According to Kim & Chang, operating such a business without permission is punishable under Article 30 by imprisonment with labour of up to three years or a fine of up to KRW 20 million (Chambers 2025).
Regulator and licensing model
The NGCC is established “under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister” and has up to 15 members. Its functions include comprehensive planning for the speculative industries, regulation of their overall size, inspections to prevent excessive promotion of gambling, surveillance of illegal gambling and the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction. It does not itself license operators: each sector has its own ministry and statutory operator. Casino permits, for example, are issued by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The NGCC’s main tool is a total sales cap: a ceiling on the turnover of the speculative industries, linked to gross domestic product, with individual ceilings for each business adjusted after annual “soundness evaluations” (NGCC, gambling policies).
The NGCC’s published statistics put total turnover of the six sectors at KRW 26.03 trillion in 2025, up 2.9% on 2024. Lottery accounted for 29.4%, horse racing 24.7%, Sports Toto 23.4%, casinos 14.2%, cycle racing 5.9%, motorboat racing 2.3% and bullfighting 0.1%. The NGCC counts 18 casino premises: Kangwon Land and 17 casinos for foreigners only.
Casinos
Under Article 21 of the Tourism Promotion Act, new casino permits may be granted only for top-rated hotels in cities with an international airport or port, for international convention facilities, or for passenger ships sailing between Korea and other countries. According to the Seoul Economic Daily, the 17 foreigner-only casinos are run by 13 companies and had combined sales of KRW 2.26 trillion in 2025 (Seoul Economic Daily, July 2026).
For Kangwon Land, the special act requires 25% of profits from its casino, hotel and leisure businesses to be spent on tourism and regional development in the former mining areas (Special Act, Article 11(5)). GGRAsia reports that Kangwon Land produced 42.3% of casino-sector gross gaming revenue (GGR, stakes minus winnings paid) in 2024, about KRW 1.36 trillion. Korean visitors may enter on at most 15 days a month (GGRAsia, October 2025). Entry is barred to those under 20 (Kangwon Land, admission information).
Online gambling and enforcement
What is permitted online
No licence exists for online casinos, and none can be granted, because no statute authorises casino games outside licensed premises. Kim & Chang state that, “in principle, speculative online gambling is prohibited” (Chambers 2025). The lawful online channels are run by the statutory operators themselves:
- Betman, the official online platform for Sports Toto. It is operated by Sports Toto Korea for the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and has accepted registration from foreign residents since April 2023; before then, only citizens with a resident registration number could open accounts (The Investor, April 2023). Article 26 of the National Sports Promotion Act provides that no one other than the Foundation or its entrusted operator “may issue sports betting tickets or similar things”.
- The national lottery, which sells a limited share of Lotto tickets online. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, online purchases are limited to KRW 5,000 per person per draw, total online sales are capped at 5% of the previous year’s Lotto sales, and a mobile sales pilot began in February 2026 (Korea JoongAng Daily, February 2026).
Penalties for illegal online betting
The National Sports Promotion Act contains the heaviest penalties for unauthorised betting services. Under Article 47, anyone who issues betting tickets or similar products in breach of Article 26(1) may be imprisoned with labour for up to seven years or fined up to KRW 70 million. Under Article 48, anyone who buys or bets on such products may be imprisoned for up to five years or fined up to KRW 50 million. Article 26(2) also prohibits designing betting systems that operate over information and communications networks and advertising illegal betting (National Sports Promotion Act). Online casino operators are generally prosecuted under Article 247 of the Criminal Act.
Blocking
Access to illegal gambling websites is restricted through the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), which issues correction requests that lead internet service providers to block sites. According to GGRAsia, the KCSC recorded 69,350 correction cases against illegal gambling content in 2024 and 43,718 in 2025. Before the 2026 FIFA World Cup it announced the blocking of 1,280 illegal sports betting sites, and it recorded 5,279 cases between January and 8 June 2026 (GGRAsia, June 2026).
Sports Toto Korea also pays small rewards to members of the public who report illegal betting sites and the bank accounts they use (Focus Gaming News, June 2025).
Scale of the illegal market and police action
Official estimates show an illegal market several times larger than the legal one. The Korea Times, citing NGCC data, reported that illegal gambling was estimated at KRW 102.7 trillion in 2023, compared with KRW 81.5 trillion in 2019. The NGCC’s surveillance cases on illegal online gambling rose from 13,064 in 2019 to 39,082 in 2023 (The Korea Times, December 2024). CasinoBeats reported in April 2026 that a newer NGCC survey estimated the illegal market at about KRW 96 trillion (CasinoBeats, April 2026). These are survey-based estimates and indicate orders of magnitude only.
Position of players
South Korea is one of the few jurisdictions in which players, not only operators, routinely face criminal liability. The position can be summarised as follows:
- General gambling. Gambling outside a statutory exception is an offence under Article 246 of the Criminal Act, punishable by a fine of up to KRW 10 million, unless it is “merely for temporary amusement”. Playing at an unlicensed online casino falls under this provision.
- Illegal sports betting. Betting with an unauthorised sports betting site is a separate and more serious offence under Article 48 of the National Sports Promotion Act, punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 50 million.
- Habitual gambling. Repeated gambling can be charged as habitual gambling under Article 246(2), with up to three years’ imprisonment.
- Minors. In a special police crackdown between 25 September 2023 and 31 October 2024, 9,971 people were apprehended for illegal online gambling, of whom 4,715 (47.2%) were under 19; online casino games accounted for 82.6% of the youth cases (Asia Gaming Brief, November 2024). Police referred many young offenders to counselling rather than detaining them.
Gambling abroad
Because of the active personality principle in Article 3 of the Criminal Act, a Korean national who gambles in a casino abroad can in principle be prosecuted at home. In practice, prosecutions reported in the press concern habitual or large-scale gambling, mostly by public figures. Two cases illustrate this:
- In 2011 the Seoul Central District Court sentenced entertainer Shin Jung-hwan to eight months’ imprisonment for habitual gambling in casinos in Cebu, the Philippines, in 2010 (allkpop, June 2011).
- In 2021 a military court convicted former BIGBANG member Seungri of several offences, including habitual gambling in Las Vegas casinos between 2013 and 2017. His sentence was reduced on appeal to 18 months, and the Supreme Court confirmed it on 26 May 2022 (Aju Business Daily, May 2022).
In 2019 a Korean consul general told Macau Business that judicial cooperation with Macau was not aimed at Korean tourists. According to that report, prosecutors pursue those they consider habitual overseas gamblers rather than occasional visitors (Macau Business, October 2019). We did not find published statistics on prosecutions of ordinary citizens for gambling abroad.
Taxation
Operators
Taxation of operators is set sector by sector. Foreigner-only casinos must pay into the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund an amount set within a limit of 10% of gross sales (Tourism Promotion Act, Article 30). The Seoul Economic Daily reports that the rate is progressive (1% of sales up to KRW 1 billion, 5% between KRW 1 billion and 10 billion, and 10% above), that contributions totalled KRW 219.4 billion in 2025, and that the levy does not apply to Kangwon Land (Seoul Economic Daily, July 2026). Kangwon Land instead devotes 25% of relevant profits to regional development under the special act. In addition, the NGCC may impose an addiction-prevention charge of up to 0.5% of annual net turnover on gambling businesses, paid into an account for the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction (NGCC Act).
Players’ winnings
Winnings from lotteries and sports betting are treated as “other income” under Korean income tax law and are generally subject to 22% withholding at source, including local income tax (PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries). For lottery prizes, The Korea Times reports a rate of 22% on winnings between KRW 2 million and 300 million and 33% on winnings above KRW 300 million (The Korea Times, October 2024). We could not verify from an official source how casino winnings at Kangwon Land are treated; readers should consult the National Tax Service. Winnings from illegal gambling are not a lawful source of income and may be confiscated in criminal proceedings.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Harm prevention is built into the legal framework through the sales cap, sector-specific limits and a national treatment agency:
- Korea Problem Gambling Agency. The agency was opened in 2013 as the Korea Center on Gambling Problems (KCGP) and took its current name in July 2022. It runs the national 1336 helpline, which offers telephone and online counselling around the clock, together with regional centres, rehabilitation services and prevention education (Korea Problem Gambling Agency, main projects). It estimates that about 1.97 million adults are problem gamblers.
- Entry restrictions and exclusion. Kangwon Land operates an entry-restriction system. A player may request a ban, and a spouse or direct family member (grandparent, parent or child) may also apply. The casino can impose restrictions for rule breaches such as loan dealing or violence (Kangwon Land, restriction on entrance). Korean visitors are limited to 15 visiting days a month. There is no single national self-exclusion register covering all sectors.
- Betting limits. The NGCC’s electronic card system was designed to cap stakes per transaction at about KRW 100,000 in most sectors (NGCC, gambling policies).
- Young people. Police data cited by Focus Gaming News show 749 teenagers apprehended for online gambling in 2024, 266 in 2025 and 267 in the first seven months of 2026 (Focus Gaming News, 2026).
General guidance on safer gambling is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Youth crackdown (2023–2026). The National Police Agency’s special crackdown on youth online gambling began on 25 September 2023 and was extended for a further year after October 2024.
- World Cup blocking (June 2026). The KCSC blocked 1,280 illegal sports betting sites before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Casino levy proposal (July 2026). The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is considering raising the ceiling of the tourism fund levy on foreigner-only casinos from 10% to 15% of sales. This would be the first revision in about 30 years. Operators oppose the change, and as of late July 2026 it remained under consideration (Seoul Economic Daily, July 2026).
- Future of Kangwon Land’s monopoly. The special act now runs until 2045. Some academics argue for gradually allowing Korean players into selected foreigner-only casinos, while industry representatives in Gangwon Province argue that the Kangwon Land arrangement must continue (GGRAsia, October 2025). No bill to admit Korean nationals to other casinos had been passed at the time of review.
Casino listings for players in South Korea
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not show that an operator is licensed or authorised in South Korea. No online casino can be licensed under Korean law: the only lawful online betting services are those of the statutory operators, such as Betman for Sports Toto. Offering online casino games to people in South Korea is not permitted, and gambling with an unauthorised operator can itself be a criminal offence for the player. The listings must not be read as an indication that playing is lawful. See the National Gambling Control Commission Act and the Criminal Act.
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Sources and further reading
- Ministry of Government Legislation, Korea Law Information Center, Criminal Act (as amended by Act No. 19582, 8 August 2023) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea Legislation Research Institute, National Gambling Control Commission Act (Act No. 8279, as amended to Act No. 18773, 2022) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea Legislation Research Institute, Tourism Promotion Act (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea Legislation Research Institute, Special Act on Assistance to the Development of Abandoned Mine Areas (Act No. 5089, 1995, as amended) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea Legislation Research Institute, National Sports Promotion Act (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea Legislation Research Institute, Act on Special Cases concerning Regulation and Punishment of Speculative Acts (accessed 6 October 2026).
- National Gambling Control Commission, Gambling industry statistics: scale (accessed 6 October 2026).
- National Gambling Control Commission, Gambling policies (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Eun, H. H., Lee, J.-C. and Na, D. (Kim & Chang), Chambers and Partners, Gaming Law 2025: South Korea (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea Problem Gambling Agency, Main projects (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea Problem Gambling Agency, History (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Kangwon Land, Restriction on entrance / cancellation of restriction on entrance (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Kangwon Land (High1), Admission to the casino information (accessed 6 October 2026).
- GGRAsia, As Kangwon Land marks 25 years of its locals-casino monopoly, the case grows for ending its exclusive rights (2025) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- GGRAsia, South Korea blocking 1,280 illegal sports betting sites ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup (2026) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Seoul Economic Daily, Korea to raise casino tourism fund levy ceiling to 15% (2026) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- The Korea Times, Korea sees illegal online gambling cases triple in just four years (2024) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- The Korea Times, Koreans turn to lottery tickets amid economic stagnation (2024) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Asia Gaming Brief, Nearly 10K arrested in South Korean police crackdown on youth gambling (2024) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Focus Gaming News, South Korean teen gambling arrests surpass 2025 total (2026) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Focus Gaming News, South Korea offers rewards for reporting illegal sports betting sites (2025) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- CasinoBeats, South Korean illegal gambling market now worth $65 billion, says regulator (2026) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Korea JoongAng Daily, It’s a gamble: Korea to introduce mobile lottery ticket purchases (2026) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- The Investor, Foreign nationals to be allowed to enjoy Sports Toto online (2023) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- PwC, Worldwide Tax Summaries: Republic of Korea, individual income determination (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Aju Business Daily, Highest court confirms 18-month jail sentence for former BIGBANG member Seungri (2022) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- allkpop, Shin Jung Hwan sentenced to eight months in prison for gambling overseas (2011) (accessed 6 October 2026).
- Macau Business, Judicial agreement with Macau not aimed at gambling crimes under Korean law – Consul (2019) (accessed 6 October 2026).
