South Korea's Supreme Prosecutors' Office said on November 15, 2023 that it had instructed district prosecutors' offices to investigate and, as a rule, arrest and detain the operators of illegal online gambling sites whose main users are juveniles, and to seek the maximum statutory penalty at trial1. The directive follows the launch on November 3, 2023 of a cross-ministerial task force on eradicating juvenile online illegal gambling, involving the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the National Police Agency1.
The office said prosecutors dedicated to organized crime would set up joint investigative working bodies with police to handle providers of internet gambling games targeting juveniles, including those who run or take part in such sites and distributors who recruit juveniles as site members1. It said it had ordered that operators of illegal online gambling sites be investigated thoroughly not only for the charge of opening a gambling operation but also for tax evasion and organizing a criminal group, so that penalties are substantive1.
The office said the gambling-opening charge alone carries a light sentence, while applying tax evasion allows up to life imprisonment where the evaded tax is 1 billion won or more, and a fine of two to five times the evaded amount, which it said allows recovery of criminal proceeds1. It added that it had ordered investigators to trace members' assets for confiscation and preservation of claims, and to seize physical property to strip criminal profits completely1.
For juvenile gambling offenders, the office said it would use conditional suspension of indictment tied to counseling and education on gambling addiction prevention, to steer young people away from addiction and back to normal life1.
"청소년을 상대로 한 불법 도박 개장은 국가의 미래를 좀먹는 악질 범죄"
The same words were attributed to President Yoon Suk Yeol, who ordered a government-wide response, and the task force was launched on November 3, 20231.
What it means for players
The directive targets people who run or work for sites aimed at juveniles, and those who recruit juveniles as members, not the young users themselves1. For those under 18 who are caught gambling, the stated approach is conditional suspension of prosecution with counseling and education rather than custody1. South Korea's rules on online gambling, and how they apply to locals, expats and visitors, are set out in our guide to online gambling in Asia; the practical risks for young players and their families are covered in young people and gambling, and warning signs and support options in safer gambling in Asia.
What happens next
The task force was launched on November 3, 20231. The November 15 announcement set out the investigative standards for prosecutors and police but did not give an end date for the effort1. No figures on arrests, site closures or amounts seized under the directive have been reported1.
Sources1 sources
- 대검 "청소년 상대 인터넷 도박 운영자 원칙적 구속수사" | 연합뉴스, yna.co.kr
