South Korea Proposes Bill to Combat Online Gambling

Rep. Choi Min-hee, Chairperson of the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee of the National Assembly, has proposed a special bill to prevent illegal online gambling activities. The bill aims to suspend payments from accounts used for internet gambling.

According to Rep. Choi, the rapid spread of online gambling among adults and teenagers has become a serious social problem. She explained that juveniles can easily become addicted to gambling due to the lack of adult verification processes, leading to greater damage and illegal acts such as loan sharking, fraud, and joining criminal organizations.

The Internet Gambling Eradication Act

The proposed bill requires investigative agencies to request financial institutions to suspend payments on internet gambling accounts. Financial institutions can also suspend payments on accounts of internet gambling operators when they receive such requests or if they determine that the account is a gambling account.

Anyone can report an account used for gambling, such as an account number posted on an internet gambling site or an account number written in a deposit request text message. The law also includes provisions to reduce the punishment for gamblers who report directly, to encourage active reporting.

Establishment of the Illegal Online Gambling Industry Integrated Reporting Response Center

The National Police Agency has established the ‘Illegal Online Gambling Industry Integrated Reporting Response Center’ as a control tower to efficiently perform tasks such as reporting and receiving tips on internet gambling. The center is in charge of tasks such as reporting on internet gambling and gambling accounts, requesting payment suspensions from financial institutions, and analyzing information related to internet gambling.

Rep. Choi emphasized the need for a law to eradicate internet gambling in South Korean society, especially to keep youth away from internet gambling. She urged the members of the National Assembly to pay special attention and cooperate to pass the law quickly.