South Korea updates reward system to curb illegal sports betting
South Korean authorities have announced a new reward system, calling on the public to report illegal sports gambling activities with a new reward system that offers substantial payments to those who provide information leading to enforcement action.
The initiative is overseen by Korea Sports Leisure Co., Ltd., which operates the Illegal Sports Toto Reporting Centre. The company manages the official Sports Toto betting system as trustee under the Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Foundation. Officials say the reporting programme is intended to help authorities track and dismantle illegal sports betting networks that continue to operate online despite strict national regulations.
Under the system, citizens can submit information about illegal sports gambling through the centre’s website or by calling a dedicated hotline. Reports may include details about operators, users, or individuals promoting unauthorised betting platforms. Informants are asked to provide specific information, such as website addresses, access credentials where available, and supporting evidence to help investigators verify the claims.
Rewards upto $150,000
The reward scheme is structured according to the severity of the offence reported. The highest payment, up to ₩200 million ($150,000), is reserved for information that leads to action against those operating illegal sports gambling businesses. Authorities consider site operators to be the central organisers of underground betting systems, which often rely on complex online networks to attract users and move funds.
There are separate rewards for cases involving match-fixing in sports competitions connected to the official betting system. People who provide evidence of fixed matches can get up to ₩50 million ($37,500). Regulators are especially worried about match-fixing because it can harm the fairness of sports and reduce public trust.
Smaller rewards are given for reports about other illegal activities related to sports betting. These include promoting illegal gambling sites, building or running gambling systems, sharing related content, or acting as go-betweens. In these cases, the reward can be up to ₩15 million ($11,200), depending on how useful the information is.
The reporting system has rules to prevent abuse. If several versions of the same gambling site are reported under different web addresses, only the first verified report can receive the full reward. Authorities say illegal operators often create many duplicate web addresses to avoid detection, so identifying the original source is important.
Targeting more than websites
The program will now also let people report bank or payment accounts used for gambling transactions. For each confirmed account linked to illegal betting, the informant can get ₩100,000 ($75), with no limit on the number of reports. Once investigations are finished, people are notified about rewards by mobile message.
Officials say expanding the reward system shows their growing concern about illegal sports betting in South Korea. Korea Sports Leisure says underground gambling sites can put users at financial risk and avoid the protections that licenced betting services provide.
By encouraging public participation, authorities hope the reporting centre will become a useful tool in identifying illegal networks and supporting wider efforts to maintain integrity in South Korea’s regulated sports betting environment.
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