Online Casino South Korea & Gambling Laws

Top 10 Gambling Sites for South Korea in 21 November 2024 – Updated List

With the inclusion of online betting, one would think that residents have more betting options than most others but that isn’t so.

The answer to is it illegal to gamble in South Korea is not very simple. While some forms of betting are legal, the majority of them are illegal – especially the online ones, i.e., South Korea online casinos.

In fact, South Korean players have very few legal betting options. All those casinos? Except for one, they’re just for tourists. All those online betting sites? Forget about it.

The internet is closely monitored and gambling sites are blocked. Korean players are prohibited from almost all forms of gambling. The only exceptions are a few activities that are specially legislated. In general, however, we can say that the gambling industry does not exist.

The legalized betting options include horse racing, bicycle racing, and wagering on a handful of sports like baseball, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and golf.

There are also a few lotteries that Koreans may participate in. All of these activities are regulated and controlled by various government ministries.

Would you like to know the kicker? These laws apply to Korean residents where ever they are. Not only are they prohibited from betting in South Korea, but they are also prohibited from betting on sports and other forms of wagering in other countries. In other words, South Korea online wagering is restricted literally everywhere. The authorities don’t just issue empty threats either. Many South Koreans have been heavily fined and imprisoned after being caught gambling in places like Macau and Las Vegas.

Incredibly enough, many Korea players take their chances with Korea betting sites despite the strict South Korean gambling laws and the threat of severe penalties. As technologically advanced as the nation is, it still cannot get full control of internet activities.

Those who really want to bet at online casinos have their choice of the biggest and most reputable online gambling operators to pick from. Many of these sites (including mobile betting sites) also give South Korean online casino players some very attractive bonuses. Campeonbet, LSBet, Zigzag Sports, and Intertops are open for business to South Korean online casino players and they are all offering up to $100 in bonuses.

Those looking to claim an easy €100 are in luck at Mozzart, BetShah, and Fezbet as well as at 18Bet, 1xBet, and Melbet. How would you like to receive a higher casino bonus package? You can easily get them at Cloudbet, CasinoFair, 1xBit, and Spin Sports. 888 Sport will knock you out with their casino bonus packages.

In other words, is betting illegal in Korea? The few forms of betting that are available to local gamblers are operated and closely monitored by various government ministries. The regulations are strictly enforced both at home and abroad. It is a near-impossible task to monitor all of the internet activities here but the authorities do their best. Internet monitoring is quite pervasive, foreign betting sites, as well as sports betting exchanges are blocked, and banks routinely block transactions related to internet gaming – casino gambling sites.

Players from South Korea are limited to a few forms of legal betting. Horse racing, bike racing, lotteries, and a few Toto-style sports betting options are available. All of these are government monopolies. Of all the casinos in South Korea, citizens may only enter one of them.

All the rest of the casinos only allow foreigners. Online casino South Korea sites, on the other hand, don’t exist at all. If you want to play craps online, for example, there are no local options. In other words, the answer to is online gambling is legal in South Korea question is no. Online betting South Korean activities are strictly forbidden, and online casino sites do not exist in the country. This means internet gambling is illegal and unlike many other jurisdictions that have similar laws, South Korea actually enforces these laws.

The legal Korean casino age (legal gambling age in Korea) is 18. South Korean tax laws place a withholding Korean lotto tax between 22% and 30% on lottery wins for local residents but there are no taxes on other real money gambling wins. The government collects revenues from the operators. Due to South Korean gambling laws, online casino winnings are not subject to any taxes because they don’t “exist” legally.

Once again, the answer to is gambling legal in South Korea question is yes but this is a very “limited” yes: Korean casino regulation clearly states that online gambling is strictly forbidden and only a couple of gambling types are legal, as long as they are offered “physically”.

The Won is the official currency of South Korea and also the currency of bookmakers and it is accepted anywhere in the country. Making payments to South Korean online casinos can be a bit dicey. South Korean gambling laws clearly make online casinos South Korean sites are illegal and credit card transactions can be easily traced.

With that said, there don’t appear to be any cases of players being prosecuted for depositing with a credit card. The better options are the use of eWallets like Skrill and Neteller. It is also recommended that the accounts be in Euros as not a lot of online sites offer the Won as a currency option. We recommend starting with our lists for VISA bookmakers and betting sites and Skrill bookmakers and betting sites.

If we had a list of bookmakers by country, South Korea would arguably be at the bottom because there are no online gambling sites in the country. So, the only option to play at South Korean betting sites and bookmakers is to choose offshore operators. Frankly, we do not think that this situation will change in a short time. Legal gambling is not a priority for the government or Korean players. Most players already realize that when they choose offshore operators, they can benefit more efficiently from promotions such as a deposit bonus and services such as a live casino.

In other words, even if there were local operators, it would not be possible for them to compete with offshore sites in these matters. Therefore, there is no serious demand for legal gambling, and for the same reason, we do not expect any changes in the laws of the country in the near future.

Current laws prohibit online gambling regardless of platform, live betting included. In other words, it doesn’t matter which platform (mobile/desktop) you play on. Therefore, the current bans also cover mobile casino sites. There are no mobile gambling apps either, as there are no local South Korean online casinos.

If you prefer offshore operators, you can use their apps, but keep in mind that this is also subject to some restrictions. Official app stores (App Store & Play Store) have to comply with local laws, meaning they take into account the laws of each country when determining their content. In South Korea, you won’t find an app that allows you to play or place bets for real money in any of these stores: Search results will be filtered.

Android users can solve this problem by downloading the relevant mobile application as an APK file from the casino site and installing it manually. Unfortunately, iOS users do not have such a chance. However, keep in mind that nowadays there is no need for an app for the mobile casino experience: you can simply opt for the mobile versions of the online casino South Korea sites, no matter what operating system you are using.

The best South Korean online casinos offer thousands of games in different categories, each of which allows you to win real money. In this respect, it is important to prefer sites that work with top-tier suppliers (e.g., NetEnt, Microgaming, etc.) and to give importance to both quality and quantity. If you’re just starting out and are confused by so many options, we suggest you prioritize the games listed below. Because these games are the most popular, they offer the highest winning potential, and you can find them on all online casino South Korea sites.

• Blackjack: Blackjack is the most popular card game because it is easy to learn, but difficult to master. What you have to do is to reach 21 points or beat the dealer’s hand. Since it is one of the games with the highest RTP, it is possible to achieve an incredible winning potential with optimal gameplay. You can start playing blackjack right now with welcome bonuses by choosing from our recommended South Korean online casinos.
• Roulette: Roulette is a game with three basic variants: American, European, and French. They all have the same goal: to predict where (or what color) the ball will land on the wheel. These variants differ from each other in terms of betting options and house edges. In this regard, European and French roulette games have a higher RTP ratio.
• Slots: Slot machines are the most popular game in any casino because they are both fun and require no experience. To win, all you have to do is land identical symbols next to each other on a pay line. If you prefer progressive slots, you can even win millions. Every site in our list of the best South Korean online casinos has at least one bonus for slot games.
• Poker: Online casino South Korea sites usually offer poker in two formats: video poker games that resemble slot machines, and classic poker games played on the table. Both require skill as well as luck, and video poker games in particular have RTP rates that rival blackjack. If you’re new to poker, we recommend trying these machines first.

After making a win, you want to withdraw it as quickly as possible. This is possible if you make the right choices, but due to legal restrictions, there are some things you should pay attention to, especially at online casino South Korea sites.

• Do not use bank transfers. Do not use wire transfers for both deposits and withdrawals. Gambling-related money transfers at South Korean banks are closely monitored and suspicious transfers are seized.
• Do not use MasterCard. Do not use MasterCard for withdrawals as MasterCard itself does not allow the use of its own cards in South Korea for withdrawals. (You can still use it to deposit, check out our list of MasterCard bookmakers and betting sites.)
• You can use electronic wallets. In terms of practicality, e-wallets are still your best option, and we recommend choosing service providers such as PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill. To get started, check out these lists: PayPal bookmakers and betting sites & Neteller bookmakers and betting sites.
• Cryptocurrencies may be your best option. Blockchain transfers cannot be traced, and it is not possible to seize them. You don’t have to share your credentials either. Therefore, crypto betting may be the best option to use in countries with strict regimes like South Korea.

We know how important it is to get a safe and legal gambling experience. For this reason, we only recommend licensed online casino South Korea sites with positive reputation. Our list of South Korea online casinos contains dozens of names and at least one of them will be right choice for you. Pick one now, register, and start playing today – it is that easy. As always, we wish you good luck out there!

Sign up with the top gambling site for South Korea

The welcome bonus is available to you