The Korea Racing Authority (KRA) announced on March 2, 2024 that it operates a pilot operation review team to inspect the progress of the online ticket sales pilot that began last December and to discuss development directions ahead of full operation1. The announcement was carried by Yonhap News1.
The review team meeting was held last month at LetsRun Park Seoul in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and drew seven members, among them four external experts: Yoo Han-beom, co-representative of Transparency International Korea, and Cho Yoon-oh, a member of the National Gambling Control Commission1. The KRA did not state in the report how many meetings the team will hold or when the pilot will end; those details have not been reported1.
The meeting focused on illegal activity that has appeared since the pilot started, including unauthorized streaming of online race video and recruitment of franchise outlets for new types of horse racing rooms, both described as illegal moves that exploit information from the legal online horse racing service1. The team discussed the need for preemptive responses to such conduct and possible legal measures1.
Kim Jong-cheol, head of the KRA's customer service division, said a special inspection team is already running and that enforcement will be tightened through close cooperation with related agencies1.
"온라인 마권 발매 도입 취지를 훼손할 수 있는 유사 행위 행태가 포착됨에 따라 특별점검반을 가동 중이며 유관기관과 긴밀한 협력 관계를 통해 단속을 강화, 국민들을 불법 경마로부터 보호하는 데 최선을 다할 것"
What it means for players
Online horse race betting in South Korea remains a pilot, not a fully launched service, and the KRA has not reported a date for full operation1. The practical effect for anyone betting on Korean racing is that the legal online channel is still being assessed, while the authority says it is actively targeting unauthorized streaming of race video and outlets recruiting for new horse racing rooms1. Those activities are described by the KRA as illegal, and the authority says enforcement is being strengthened with other agencies1. Details of penalties, the number of cases detected, or which operators are affected have not been reported1.
What happens next
The review team is to continue checking the pilot's progress and discussing development directions for full operation1. No date has been given for the end of the pilot or for a decision on full online sales1.
For background on how legal horse race betting works in the country, see Betting on Horse Racing in South Korea and Can I Gamble in South Korea?. The regional picture, including pari-mutuel pools and bet types, is covered in Horse Racing and Betting in Asia, and account rules are set out in Official Online Horse Racing Betting Accounts in Asia. Other legal betting products in Korea are covered in Betting on Cycle Racing and Motorboat Racing in South Korea.
Sources1 sources
- 한국마사회, 온라인 발매 시범운영 점검단 운영 | 연합뉴스, yna.co.kr
