TLDR
- South Korea is urging citizens to report illegal sports gambling through the Illegal Sports Toto Reporting Center
- Rewards of up to ₩200 million are available for tips on illegal betting operators
- Match-fixing reports can earn up to ₩50 million, while other gambling tips pay up to ₩15 million
- Citizens can also report linked bank accounts for ₩100,000 per confirmed case with no cap
- Korea Sports Leisure Co. says illegal sports betting damage has been increasing and is pushing for wider public participation
South Korea is stepping up its fight against illegal sports gambling by expanding its public reward system. Korea Sports Leisure Co., Ltd. is reminding citizens they can earn up to ₩200 million for reporting illegal betting operations.
The company operates as the trustee for Sports Toto under the Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Foundation. The foundation is currently chaired by Ha Hyung-joo.
The push comes through the Illegal Sports Toto Reporting Center, which accepts tips on operators, users, and promoters of illegal sports gambling sites. Reports can be filed through the center’s official website or by calling the hotline at 1899-1119.
The reward structure is broken into tiers depending on the type of activity being reported. The highest payout of ₩200 million goes to information that leads to action against people running illegal sports gambling businesses.
Reward Tiers Cover Match-Fixing and Promotion
Tips related to match-fixing in games covered by sports promotion voting rights can earn informants up to ₩50 million. This targets corruption at the core of competitive sports in the country.
Other illegal gambling activities fall into a lower reward bracket of up to ₩15 million. These include usage, promotion, system design, broadcasting, mediation, and the sharing of sports game information.
To file a report, informants must go to the reporting center’s main page and enter the site’s URL. They also need to provide access details like an ID, password, or referral information after completing identity verification.
Supporting evidence must be attached to each submission. The process is designed to make sure tips are specific and verifiable for authorities.
There are limits on how much a single person can earn for certain types of reports. Based on deliberation by the Korea Communications Commission, informants can receive up to ₩15,000 per case and a maximum of ₩1.5 million per person in that category.
The system also addresses a common tactic used by illegal gambling platforms. Many of these sites generate unlimited copies of their URLs to avoid detection.
For duplicate URLs tied to the same platform, rewards are restricted. Only the first person to report the site qualifies for full compensation.
Bank Account Reporting Adds Another Layer
Beyond reporting websites, citizens can also flag bank and payment accounts connected to illegal sports gambling operations. These account reports can be filed alongside site reports.
Each confirmed bank account case qualifies for a reward of ₩100,000. There is no cap on the number of account cases a single person can report.
Reward decisions and payment details are sent to informants through mobile text message. Because of this, the center asks that reporters enter their personal mobile number accurately when submitting a tip.
Korea Sports Leisure has said that the damage caused by illegal sports betting has been growing over the years. The organization says it affects everyday citizens and society broadly.
The company stated it will continue promoting public participation through the reward system. It aims to encourage both average citizens and those within the illegal gambling ecosystem to come forward with information that helps authorities shut down illegal betting operations across the country.
