Casino gambling in North and South Korea is like a doughnut in a bakery — only the visitors can taste it. The countries do not allow their residents to participate in gambling activities provided by casino establishments, and they only provide gaming services to foreign visitors. However, there are always exceptions; and just like any unscrupulous baker, the locals are sometimes still able to take a bite of the Forbidden fruit and discover all the pleasures of casino games; even if this can only be done illegally.
As for other forms of gambling, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is more indulgent compared to its neighbor the Democratic People’s Republic (North Korea), and it offers its inhabitants several kinds of entertainment.
Land-based casinos: the Koreans can play only at one casino; foreign visitors have a wide variety of options.
Online Casinos: not available.
Bingo: not available.
Sports betting: provided by Sports Toto and Proto.
Horse racing: available.
Lottery: provided by LOTTO Co. Ltd.
North Korea is known for its bizarre laws, as well as its loud, brash and often rather irrational political statements; but when it comes to casino gambling, South Korea surpasses even its bizarre neighbor in terms of eccentricity (some might call it weirdness, but it won’t be us!) The point is that ROK prohibits the people from playing in all but one casino — Kangwon Land.
Kangwon Land Casino is the largest gambling venue in the country and it generates as much as about half of the annual total gambling revenue.
The “Habitual Overseas Gambler” law bars Koreans from engaging in gambling activities in other countries as well; even though it’s currently unclear how the authorities can even expose such “criminals.” Online betting is also prohibited in South Korea unless a gaming establishment holds a domestic license (but this doesn’t apply to Korean bricks and mortar casinos.)
If a player is caught illegally gambling, they’ll be charged up to RKW 5 million (about $4,400), according to Article 246 of the Criminal Code. As for habitual gamblers, the penalty amounts to up KRW 20 million (around $18,000), or up to three years behind bars!
However, there was a precedent in 2012 that may indicate the government is beginning to soften its stance on the gambling-related legislation. The capital of South Korea Seoul hosted a high stakes poker tournament sponsored by Poker Stars with a pot of 3 million KRW (over $2,600). Andrew Kim, the winner of the event, brought home 145 million KRW (about $130,000).
In most countries, any bans on games of chance have a religious basis. In South Korea, the lion’s share of the citizens (over 56%) does not belong to any religion, meaning that gambling and religion are indeed actually reconcilable in the country.
Unlike the South Koreans themselves, foreign visitors have a free hand in playing at any land-based casino in the country (according to google maps, there are 13 venues). The main visitors are reportedly the Chinese, who also have very limited options in terms of games of chance; with Macau being the only gambling destination in the entire country.
As for other games of chance, North Koreans are limited to the lottery and several betting options. The government allows motorboat racing, cycle racing, sports betting — all regulated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — as well as horse racing and traditional bullfighting — all of which are regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Lottery tickets in South Korea are offered by monopolist Nanum Lotto Co, Ltd.
Because of the narrow choice of gaming selection, there are also some companies that offer illegal betting in the country. The Republic of Korea’s illicit gambling market amounted to $66 billion in 2012, a source reported!
Casinos: One casino catering to foreigners.
Other games: Not available.
There is little known about North Korea in general, apart from having the first man to walk on the sun. So all that can be said for sure is that games of chance are taboo for North Koreans. It’s an unanswered question whether family table games fall within these restrictions, but they are certainly unavailable online! And what’s more: due to regulated Internet access, there is no way for the residents to gamble even illegally.
However, the government of the Democratic People’s Republic did attempt to establish some casinos in the 1990s by drawing investors from Macau and Hong Kong. Right now, the only gambling destination in the country is located in the capital Pyongyang, and this caters only to foreign visitors.
Every gambler dreams of a unique system that could help to increase their chance of winning. When it comes to 50/50 chance games like roulette, there are many strategies to choose from, but there is a lack of certainty regarding their effectiveness. One theory states that you can win four times in a row. Sounds […]
The cryptocurrency boom has long since passed, and interest in digital assets seems to be gradually fading away. But even that hasn’t prevented businesses from launching more and more new virtual currencies, most of which usually vanish without anyone even noticing! But NEM is different. This peer-to-peer cryptocurrency has already been around for three years, […]
Just when you naively thought that we would offer you a mega-interesting article which will include all those inspiring casino stories about famous gamblers who went from rags to riches. Oh no, did we just lie to you and none of this is going to happen here? Hold on; we included a phrase `break a bank` […]
It wasn’t until the mid-70s that the gambling industry had any real impact upon a certain innovative gaming device: the video poker machine! The gaming commotion it entailed among novice-hungry players remains the most hectic and memorable in the history of gambling so far, even surpassing the introduction of online video poker in 1994. Nowadays, […]
On Monday September 14, MGM announced that it plans to open its first smoke-free casino at the end of September, when Park MGM will finally reopen its venues to players and tourists. The resort comprises around 2,990 rooms and various restaurants, and it’s set to be reopened on September 30. The venue has been closed […]
Online gambling has undoubtedly taken a place of true supremacy over the casino industry during the pandemic. And the reason for that is quite clear: online casinos are more accessible, and you can always count on some encouragement from the casino administration to help you boost your game. However, this digital revolution has only been […]
The large selection of online gambling sites out there can make players somewhat puzzled, and give them a feeling of uncertainty about making the right choice of casino. Each online gambling venue offers its own conditions, games, and various bonuses, of course; but the most important thing is the reliability of the casino and the […]
To be or not to be? This question is bothering thousands of players out there, who are all busy contemplating their playing strategies. “Should I bet more?” Or, “is it all about luck?” These are just some of the many questions that have been bothering people who are keen on casino games; and quite honestly, […]