Access to illegal sports gambling for minors has become easier...You need to be on social alert
Aug 24, 2025
Korea Sports Leisure, a trustee of Sports Toto, a sports promotion voting ticket issued by the Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Foundation, said on the 22nd that 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 not legally permitted.
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.
With the recent development of smartphones and online platforms, barriers for minors to access illegal sites have been lowered. In particular, advertisements through SNS and communities encourage the temptation of 'high profit' and induce youth's 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 threats, theft, and fraud through personal information leakage and 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, an official from Korea Sports and Leisure said that `Illegal sports gambling is not a fun game, but a clear criminal act.' `We plan to continue to carry out preventive education and campaigns to prevent the influx and use 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 not legally permitted.
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.
With the recent development of smartphones and online platforms, barriers for minors to access illegal sites have been lowered. In particular, advertisements through SNS and communities encourage the temptation of 'high profit' and induce youth's 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 threats, theft, and fraud through personal information leakage and 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, an official from Korea Sports and Leisure said that `Illegal sports gambling is not a fun game, but a clear criminal act.' `We plan to continue to carry out preventive education and campaigns to prevent the influx and use of minors.'
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
