The bill review subcommittee of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food and Maritime Affairs Committee approved an amendment to the Korea Racing Authority Act on the afternoon of February 22, 2023, clearing the way for online sales of horse racing betting tickets1. The measure passed at subcommittee stage and now goes to the committee's full meeting, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and a plenary session before it is finalized1.
The stated purpose is to allow adults to buy betting tickets remotely and overcome the slump in the horse racing and horse industry, which suffered heavy economic damage when tracks and off-track outlets were closed during COVID-191. Previous governments had opposed the bill over concerns about online betting by young people, and changed position on the condition that safeguards were added1.
The version approved on February 22 added a provision raising the online betting purchase age to 211. The report describes this as lifting the threshold above the age of 19 for legal adulthood in order to prevent indiscriminate online betting purchases1.
"국회 농림축산식품해양수산위원회 법안심사 소위원회는 이날 오후 이 같은 내용의 한국마사회법 개정안을 의결했다."
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will reduce the number of off-track betting outlets as online sales are permitted1. No figure for how many outlets would close, and no date for that reduction, has been reported1.
| Item | Before the amendment | After the amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Online betting ticket sales | Not permitted | Permitted |
| Age to buy online | 19 (legal adulthood) | 21 |
| Off-track betting outlets | Existing network | To be reduced |
What it means for players
The amendment concerns betting through the Korea Racing Authority, the operator of the country's horse racing under the horse racing in South Korea system. If it is finalized, adults aged 21 and over would be able to buy betting tickets online rather than only at a racecourse or an off-track outlet. Adults aged 19 and 20 would remain below the online threshold set in the bill, even though 19 is the general age of legal adulthood in South Korea1. The age rules that apply to other forms of gambling in the region are set out in the legal gambling age guide, and the general position of horse racing betting across Asia is covered in where horse racing betting is legal.
The bill does not create a new licensing regime for private or offshore operators. It amends the law governing the Korea Racing Authority, so the online channel described is the official one. What an official account would require, and who can open one, is covered in official online horse racing betting accounts. Betting with operators outside that system is a separate question, addressed in offshore horse racing betting.
The planned reduction in off-track outlets means the retail side of betting may shrink as the online channel expands, though no timetable has been reported1. For visitors and foreign residents, the bill as reported sets an age condition but does not state nationality or residency conditions for opening an online account; those have not been reported1.
What happens next
The amendment must pass the full Agriculture, Food and Maritime Affairs Committee, then the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, then a plenary session of the National Assembly before it is finalized1. No dates for those stages have been reported1.
