Tourism Sector Calls for Tougher Measures against Illegal Gambling

Various representatives of the tourist sector in South Korea met on Wednesday and called on the government to act on two distinct points insofar as gambling is concerned.

One is to take stricter measures against the illegal gambling sector that targets nationals and solicits them to travel abroad for gambling.

South Korea Wants to Strengthen Safeguards Against ‘Illegal Gambling’

The other is for the government to do more to promote safe and responsible gambling at home, as well as raise awareness for why it is important to pick legitimate and regulated options when gambling.

The event, a policy forum hosted by The Korea Times and the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea or TOSOK, for short, reunited academics, government reps, and industry leaders to discuss how all stakeholders may come together to develop a framework that protects nationals and helps them avoid illegal overseas gambling in the first place.

The definition of illegal gambling abroad was outlined by Lee Jae-seok, a professor of tourism at Gangneung-Wonju National University, during his keynote address as: ”the act of a Korean citizen engaging in gambling at overseas casinos or other gambling facilities with the purpose of financial gain.”

South Korea has very restrictive laws when it comes to gambling, and the prosecutor’s office may exercise its rights against individuals who travel to gamble abroad, which puts South Korea next to Japan and China, two countries that put the onus on players and prosecute them for participating in gambling.

The need for addressing the levels of overseas gambling comes as the activity is surging. The most recent data puts the gambling done overseas by South Korean nationals at 4.9 trillion won ($3.62 billion) in 2017, but this is surely a dated figure.

Korean Nationals Who Travel Abroad to Gamble Beware

As to the consequences of gambling illegally, which can be defined broadly as gambling abroad, the fines could go up to 20 million won and also carry a three-year prison sentence.

Addressing the problem, the government also needs to understand how many people are traveling abroad to gamble – a challenge for the government as these overseas venues, which are deemed illegal, are less than cooperative with South Korean authorities.

A solution may only be found through the introduction of a dedicated task force that will investigate and oversee illegal gambling activities involving Koreans who travel abroad to play, and possibly cooperate with international watchdogs, such as Interpol, to ensure its effectiveness.

For the time being, Macau and the Philippines remain the top destinations for South Koreans who look to break like and gamble outside of the country’s overly restrictive rules and laws.