South Korea’s Korea Sports Leisure Co. Ltd. has introduced a rewards-based reporting system aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal sports gambling, offering payouts of up to KRW200 million ($135,000) for information leading to confirmed violations.
The initiative operates through the company’s Illegal Sports Toto Reporting Center and is positioned as a tool to encourage public participation in identifying unlawful betting activity. Reports can be submitted via an online portal or by phone and may relate to a broad spectrum of offenses, including illegal gambling websites, operators, users and those involved in promoting or facilitating such activities.
Under the scheme, the highest rewards – up to KRW200 million ($135,000) – are reserved for reports linked to the operation of illegal sports gambling businesses. Separate incentives are offered for other categories, including up to KRW50 million ($33,500) for information related to match-fixing involving Sports Toto events. Lower-tier rewards of up to KRW15 million ($10,000) apply to reports concerning activities such as using, promoting or brokering illegal gambling operations, as well as providing related sports data or technical systems.
The reporting framework also includes specific provisions for identifying illegal gambling websites. Users submitting such reports are required to verify their identity, provide the relevant URL and include supporting information such as login credentials or referral data, alongside evidence. Following review by the Korea Communications Commission, successful submissions may receive KRW15,000 ($10) per case, capped at KRW1.5 million ($1,000) per individual.
However, the company noted that in cases where illegal gambling platforms rapidly replicate themselves using multiple domains, rewards may only be granted to the first individual to report a particular site. This reflects the challenges authorities face in tackling operators that deploy cloning and URL-generation techniques to evade enforcement.
In addition to website reporting, the system allows submissions relating to bank accounts used by illegal gambling operators. These reports carry a fixed reward of KRW100,000 ($67) per case, with no stated cap on the number of eligible submissions. Korea Sports Leisure said participants must provide a valid, registered mobile phone number, as notifications and reward outcomes are communicated via SMS. The requirement forms part of the verification process for handling and confirming reports.
The company framed the initiative as part of a broader strategy to curb illegal gambling activity by embedding public reporting into the enforcement framework. According to a company representative, voluntary citizen participation is viewed as a critical component in efforts to disrupt illegal sports betting networks and mitigate associated harm.
