“All similar sites that borrow the gameplay of legitimate sportsbooks and bettors, as well as sports betting activities using cash, are illegal.”
Sportstoto Korea, the trustee of Sportstoto, the sports promotion voting ticket issued by the Korea Sports Promotion Organization, has reiterated that all similar sports betting sites that borrow the gameplay of legitimate sportsbooks and invite cash bets are “illegal.
Both Sportstoto (sportstoto.co.kr) and Betman (betman.co.kr), the official internet retailer, are legal in Korea. Sports betting using cash, as well as the launch of similar sites that borrow the gameplay of SportsToto, is a violation of the Sports Promotion Act.
According to the current Sports Promotion Act, illegal sports gambling is a serious crime that harms fair sports culture, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won, not only for the operator but also for those who participate.
Despite these regulations, illegal sports gambling sites continue to proliferate by borrowing names similar to sportsbooks’ unique game methods and deceiving the public by predicting the outcome of various sports events and inviting cash bets.
Currently, the National Sports Promotion Act does not authorize the use of similar sites other than the sports promotion voting ticket ‘Sportsbook’ and the official online sales site ‘Betman’, so domestic sports fans need to be careful about illegal sports betting sites that impersonate ‘Sportsbook’ over the Internet.
Citizens who find illegal sports betting sites or obtain information on operators and 토토 users can report them to the Illegal Sports Betting Reporting Center (cleansports.kspo.or.kr) operated by the Korea Sports Promotion Organization.
Reporting illegal sports betting operators will be rewarded with up to 200 million won depending on the outcome of the deliberation, and users and promoters will be rewarded with up to 15 million won. In addition, site reporters can receive rewards (online cultural vouchers) of up to 2 million won per month without distinction between main and subdomains based on the results of deliberations such as access blocking and usage by the Korea Communications Commission.
“All proceeds from legal sportsbooks are transferred to the National Sports Promotion Fund, which is used to build sports facilities and support sports for the disabled,” said a representative from Sportsbook Korea. “As the damage caused by similar sports betting sites that deceive the public is increasing every year, it is necessary to be extremely careful.”