South Korea's Lottery Commission decided on April 28 to lengthen the publication cycle for electronic lottery (Powerball) draw numbers from the current 5 minutes to 6 hours starting July 1, and to pursue an amendment to the Lottery Act that imposes penalties for commercial use of lottery draw numbers1. The decision was made at the 148th Lottery Commission meeting, held at the Korea Press Center and chaired by Ahn Do-geol, second vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance1.
- The decision came at the 148th Lottery Commission meeting on April 28, chaired by Ahn Do-geol1.
- Draws will continue every 5 minutes, but draw numbers will be published on a 6 hour cycle1.
- The commission will pursue a Lottery Act amendment imposing penalties for commercial use of draw numbers1.
The commission said the measures are meant to block illegal sites and others from exploiting lottery draw numbers1. Powerball is a game in which players match numbers or the sum of numbers, and draws take place every 5 minutes1. Under the plan, draws will continue every 5 minutes, but the draw numbers will be published on a 6 hour cycle1. The commission prepared the response after criticism that some private gambling venues were running separate betting pools using the draw numbers of a trusted lottery1.
"불법 사이트 등이 복권 추첨번호를 악용하는 것을 원천 차단하기 위해 오는 7월 1일부터 전자복권(파워볼) 추첨번호 공개주기를 현행 5분에서 6시간으로 연장하고, 복권 추첨번호를 활용한 영리 행위 시 벌칙을 부과하는 복권법 개정을 추진하기로 했다"
At the same meeting the commission reviewed and approved the 2023 lottery issuance plan and the results of the 2021 performance evaluation of Lottery Fund projects1.
Next year's issuance volume was set at 7 trillion 61 hundred million won, up 5.3 percent1.
The 2021 performance evaluation of Lottery Fund projects produced an average score of 80.0 points, up from 77.8 points the previous year1. Of 101 projects assessed, 2 were rated very excellent, 58 excellent, 34 average, 6 insufficient and 1 very insufficient1. Projects including the construction of a veterans nursing home and a rehabilitation hospital in the Jeonnam region scored low because of delays in construction and low execution rates1. The commission decided to allocate additional proceeds, within 20 percent of the statutory allocation ratio, to the top four institutions in the statutory allocation ranking, and to impose penalties such as budget cuts on public interest projects rated insufficient or below1.
What it means for players
Powerball players in South Korea will still see draws every 5 minutes, but the winning numbers will not be published until up to 6 hours after each draw1. Anyone who follows or records draw results in real time, including players who use published numbers to check tickets or track patterns, will face a delay of hours rather than minutes from July 11. The commission's stated target is private betting operations that build separate pools on top of official draw numbers, so the change affects the availability of those numbers to third parties rather than the draw itself1. The proposed penalties for commercial use of draw numbers are not yet law; the amendment is being pursued, and no effective date or penalty amounts have been reported1.
What happens next
The 6 hour publication cycle takes effect on July 11. The Lottery Act amendment imposing penalties for commercial use of draw numbers is to be pursued, with no timeline or penalty details reported1.
Sources1 sources
- 기재부 "복권 추첨번호 활용한 영리 행위 금지…법 개정 추진" | 연합뉴스, yna.co.kr
