What is the gambling law in South Korea?

The main gambling law in South Korea is the Criminal Code, which provides a comprehensive legal framework for the prohibition and punishment of gambling activities. Specifically, Article 246 of the Criminal Code penalizes individuals who engage in gambling, while Article 247 targets those who operate gambling establishments for profit.

These provisions are applied broadly to both land-based and online gambling. In addition to the Criminal Code, the Game Industry Promotion Act (GIPA) regulates the gaming industry and distinguishes between legitimate games and those with speculative or gambling elements. The GIPA requires games to be rated by the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), which can deny ratings to games deemed to have excessive speculative features.

Furthermore, the Act on Special Cases Concerning Regulation and Punishment of Speculative Acts (Speculative Acts Regulation Act) provides additional measures to combat illegal speculative activities. The government maintains a strict monopoly on most forms of legal gambling, such as lotteries and horse racing, which are operated by state-owned entities.

The most recent significant regulatory updates in 2025 focused on the GIPA and the E-Commerce Act, further strengthening consumer protection and regulations around online games.