Warning lights for illegal underage sports gambling...urgent social response
Jul 20, 2025
Korea Sports Leisure Co., Ltd., a trustee of Sports Toto, a sports promotion voting ticket issued by the Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Foundation (Chairman Ha Hyung-joo), said that there is a serious situation in which minors are easily exposed to illegal sports gambling, and that social alert is needed.
All forms of sports betting, including similar sites that mimic Sports Toto's unique games 'Toto' and 'Proto', are illegal, and the use of minors, especially those under the age of 19, is strictly prohibited by law.
Under the current National Sports Promotion Act, it is illegal to sell sports promotion voting rights or provide refunds to minors. Violation of this could result in up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. On top of that, operators of illegal gambling sites as well as those who participated in the site can be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to 50 million won, requiring special attention from minors.
In recent years, the development of smartphones and online platforms has made it much easier for minors to access illegal sports gambling sites. In particular, advertisements through SNS or communities are encouraging the temptation of 'easy profit' and inducing teenagers' curiosity and impulsive participation.
The problem does not stop there. Beyond simple financial losses, there is a growing real risk that it can lead to secondary crimes such as personal information leakage and intimidation-theft-fraud through proxy betting.
The government and related agencies continue to strengthen crackdowns on illegal sports gambling sites, but as the site's operation method is becoming more sophisticated, the importance of education and awareness improvement activities to respond is becoming more prominent.
In this regard, a Korean Sports and Leisure official said that `Illegal sports gambling is not just a game, it is a clear criminal act.' `We plan to continue preventing education and campaigns to prevent the influx of minors.'
All forms of sports betting, including similar sites that mimic Sports Toto's unique games 'Toto' and 'Proto', are illegal, and the use of minors, especially those under the age of 19, is strictly prohibited by law.
Under the current National Sports Promotion Act, it is illegal to sell sports promotion voting rights or provide refunds to minors. Violation of this could result in up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. On top of that, operators of illegal gambling sites as well as those who participated in the site can be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to 50 million won, requiring special attention from minors.
In recent years, the development of smartphones and online platforms has made it much easier for minors to access illegal sports gambling sites. In particular, advertisements through SNS or communities are encouraging the temptation of 'easy profit' and inducing teenagers' curiosity and impulsive participation.
The problem does not stop there. Beyond simple financial losses, there is a growing real risk that it can lead to secondary crimes such as personal information leakage and intimidation-theft-fraud through proxy betting.
The government and related agencies continue to strengthen crackdowns on illegal sports gambling sites, but as the site's operation method is becoming more sophisticated, the importance of education and awareness improvement activities to respond is becoming more prominent.
In this regard, a Korean Sports and Leisure official said that `Illegal sports gambling is not just a game, it is a clear criminal act.' `We plan to continue preventing education and campaigns to prevent the influx of minors.'
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
