Is gambling legal in South Korea? The short answer is no, in principle. The Korean Criminal Act makes gambling itself a crime, and only seven “speculative industries” specially authorised by law are exempt: casinos, horse racing, cycle racing, motorboat racing, lotteries, sports betting (Sports Toto) and bullfighting. Casinos come in two kinds: 17 foreigner-only casinos, and Kangwon Land, the only casino in the country that Korean citizens may enter. As of October 2026 there is no legal licence for any online casino in Korea.
For PRC passport holders this means: as foreigners you may legally enter Korea’s foreigner-only casinos, but only from age 19. Online gambling, unlicensed sports betting or cash-settled play at “hold’em pubs” in Korea are all illegal. You should also know the Chinese legal position: organising PRC citizens to gamble abroad is a crime in itself. This page covers regulation and risk only and recommends no operator. Amounts are converted at the XE mid-market rate of 23 October 2026, CNY 1 ≈ KRW 198.64.
The legal framework: gambling is a crime by default
Article 246 of the Criminal Act punishes gambling with a fine of up to KRW 10 million (about CNY 50,300), unless it is “merely for temporary amusement”; habitual gamblers face up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 20 million (about CNY 101,000). Article 247 punishes anyone who opens a gambling place or space for profit with up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 30 million (about CNY 151,000). Whether something counts as “temporary amusement” is decided case by case by the courts, looking at amounts, frequency and the players’ means; there is no fixed safe amount.
Each legal exception has its own statute: casinos fall under the Tourism Promotion Act and the Special Act on Assistance to the Development of Coal Industry Transition Areas (Kangwon Land’s legal basis, formerly the Special Act on Abandoned Mine Areas); horse racing under the Korea Racing Authority Act; cycle and motorboat racing under the Bicycle and Motorboat Racing Act; lotteries under the Lottery and Lottery Fund Act; sports betting under the National Sports Promotion Act; and bullfighting under the Traditional Bullfighting Act. The texts are available at the Korean Law Information Center.
Regulators: the NGCC and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The single oversight body is the National Gambling Control Commission (NGCC, 사행산업통합감독위원회), set up in 2007 under the Prime Minister. It sets annual sales caps for the seven industries (in force since 2009), monitors illegal gambling and collects an addiction prevention levy from operators. Casino licences are issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; casinos on Jeju are managed by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province under its own special act. The NGCC also runs an illegal gambling report line, 1855-0112.
| Legal form | Main law | Who may take part | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreigner-only casinos (17, of which 8 on Jeju) | Tourism Promotion Act | Foreigners; Korean nationals barred (registered emigrants excepted) | 19 |
| Kangwon Land casino | Special Act on Coal Industry Transition Areas | Koreans and foreigners | 19 |
| Sports betting (Sports Toto) | National Sports Promotion Act | Licensed outlets and the official platform | Not sold to youths under 19 |
| Horse, cycle and motorboat racing, bullfighting | KRA Act, Bicycle and Motorboat Racing Act, Traditional Bullfighting Act | Venues and licensed off-track outlets | See venue rules |
| Lotteries (Lotto, pension lottery etc.) | Lottery and Lottery Fund Act | Licensed retailers | No sales to youths under the Juvenile Protection Act (under 19) |
| Online casinos | — | No legal licence; always illegal | — |
Market size: which forms are largest
According to NGCC data for 2025, reported by the media in August 2026, legal gambling sales totalled KRW 26.03 trillion, up 2.9% year on year. Lotteries took 29.4%, horse racing 24.7%, sports betting 23.4% and casinos 14.2%.
Within casinos, the 17 foreigner-only casinos earned about KRW 2.26 trillion in gaming revenue in 2025 (about CNY 11.4bn), up 21.6%, from 3.494 million visits; Kangwon Land earned about KRW 1.43 trillion (about CNY 7.2bn) from 2.479 million visits. Jeju’s 8 casinos had 2025 sales of KRW 646.5 billion (about CNY 3.25bn), up 40.8%.
Casinos: foreigner-only venues and Kangwon Land
Article 27 of the Tourism Promotion Act bars casinos from admitting Korean nationals (except emigrants registered under the Emigration Act) and anyone under 19, and bans advertising that “excessively stimulates speculative desire”. Chinese tourists, students and workers in Korea therefore count as foreigners and must show a passport or other ID at the door. Kangwon Land, in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, is the only casino open to Korean citizens, who face limits such as on the number of entry days. Venue-level entry rules are covered in Casino laws in South Korea.
According to The Korea Times (August 2026), the Chinese Embassy in Seoul wrote to the paper criticising some casinos’ marketing aimed at Chinese tourists and urged Korea to tighten oversight. Anyone involved in tour groups or agents that recruit Chinese tourists to gamble in Korea with “free flights and hotel” offers may be committing a crime under Chinese law.
Online gambling: illegal in Korea without exception
Korea has licensed no online casino. The only legal online channels are the state-authorised official lottery and sports betting platforms. Under the National Sports Promotion Act, operators of unlicensed sports betting sites face up to 7 years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 70 million (about CNY 352,000), users up to 5 years or KRW 50 million (about CNY 252,000), and promoters up to 3 years or KRW 30 million. Enforcement is intensifying: during the World Cup, from 8 June to 31 July 2026, the NGCC monitored 14,190 illegal sites and requested blocking for 99.9% of them. See Online casino laws in South Korea.
In Korea, offshore websites, cashing out points at “hold’em pubs” and “betting on your behalf” in chat groups can all be treated as illegal gambling. The NGCC states that it approves no hold’em tournaments or operating rules.
How gambling winnings are taxed
Lottery winnings are “other income” in Korea and are withheld at source: up to KRW 2 million (about CNY 10,100) per win is tax-free; the portion from KRW 2 million to KRW 300 million is taxed at 22% (including local income tax); the portion above KRW 300 million (about CNY 1.51 million) at 33%. Large casino payouts such as slot jackpots may also be taxed. The withholding rate for non-resident foreigners, and whether the China–Korea tax treaty applies, should be confirmed with the National Tax Service or a tax adviser. If you are a Chinese tax resident, foreign income also has to be reported at home; see our Leaving China guide.
Chinese law: gambling abroad still carries risk
Amendment XI to the Criminal Law took effect on 1 March 2021. The amended Article 303 provides: gathering people to gamble for profit, or making gambling one’s profession, is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment; opening a casino by up to five years, or five to ten years in serious cases; and organising PRC citizens to gamble abroad (outside the mainland), where the amounts are huge or circumstances otherwise serious, is punished in the same way as opening a casino. This page is legal information only, not legal advice; see our disclaimer.
Help and reporting channels
- Call 1336Helpline of the Korea Center on Gambling Problems (KCGP); text and KakaoTalk also possible
- Book counsellingThe Seoul centre and regional centres offer face-to-face sessions
- Help for familiesFamily members can also ask for counselling
- Report illegal gamblingNGCC report line 1855-0112
For more practical information go back to our South Korea country guide, and before travelling read South Korea visas. To compare neighbours’ rules, see gambling laws in Japan and gambling laws in Singapore.
FAQ
Is it legal for Chinese tourists to enter casinos in Korea?
Under Korean law, foreigners aged 19 or over may enter licensed foreigner-only casinos and Kangwon Land. But organising or recruiting PRC citizens to gamble abroad may breach Article 303 of the Chinese Criminal Law.
What happens if I use an offshore online casino on my phone in Korea?
There are no legal online casinos in Korea. Taking part in illegal gambling can be punished under the Criminal Act or the National Sports Promotion Act, and the sites are blocked.
What is the legal gambling age in South Korea?
Casino entry requires age 19; sports betting tickets may not be sold to youths under 19.
Who regulates gambling in South Korea?
The NGCC handles overall oversight and sales caps, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism licenses casinos, and Jeju casinos are managed by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.
Sources
- National Gambling Control Commission (NGCC) official site (accessed October 2026)
- Ministry of Government Legislation – Korean Law Information Center (Criminal Act, Tourism Promotion Act, National Sports Promotion Act) (accessed October 2026)
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism tourism knowledge system: commentary on Tourism Promotion Act Art. 27 (accessed October 2026)
- Act on the National Gambling Control Commission (text via nepla) (accessed October 2026)
- Segye Ilbo: 2025 gambling industry statistics (citing NGCC, 10 Aug 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- SiGMA: Kangwon Land vs 17 foreigner-only casinos, 2025 taxes (citing NGCC, 31 Aug 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Jeonbuk Ilbo: 18 casinos mentioned at presidential work report (4 Aug 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Segye Ilbo: Jeju’s 8 foreigner-only casinos, 2025 sales (4 May 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Segye Ilbo: World Cup illegal-site monitoring and illegal gambling market size (14 Aug 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Hankyung: regulator blocks 1,280 illegal sports betting sites (9 Jun 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Supreme Court Sentencing Commission: Gambling and Gaming Crimes guideline (accessed October 2026)
- Daeryun Law Firm: penalties under Criminal Act Art. 246 (law-firm material) (accessed October 2026)
- LawTalk: penalties for illegal sports betting under the National Sports Promotion Act (lawyer article) (accessed October 2026)
- Toss Bank: tax on lottery winnings (accessed October 2026)
- Korea Center on Gambling Problems (KCGP) official site (accessed October 2026)
- SAT Economy: the 1336 gambling helpline explained (accessed October 2026)
- The Korea Times: Chinese tourists’ visits to Korean casinos (3 Aug 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Amendment XI to the PRC Criminal Law, full text (Shantou government site) (accessed October 2026)
- XE: CNY to KRW mid-market rate (23 Oct 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Alchera – Underage mobile lottery purchases and art. 5(3) of the Lottery and Lottery Fund Act (company blog, backup source) (accessed October 2026)
