South Korea Poker: Complete Guide to Venues and Laws

Online Poker Legislation in South Korea

As far as playing online poker goes, there are no specific laws against it, although it’s illegal for South Korean companies to operate online poker sites. However, illegal South Korean sites run despite the many crackdown attempts made by the government.  Online, the South Korean government went as far as to shut down Facebook social games, in an effort to prevent people from playing poker. It did not matter that these games are with play money: even traditional games like Farmville ended up being blocked as well.

Foreign poker sites are, thus, theoretically blocked by the Korean State, which doesn’t prevent the tech-savvy locals finding their way. Virtual private networks and internet wallets are widely spread amongst Korean poker players who wish to avoid restrictions. PokerStars, for instance, does not offer local bank transfer and doesn’t support Korean Won currency, unlike many other major websites. One of the only websites that accepts Korean Won is Dafa (www.dafapoker.com). It is fully licensed in the Philippines and is one of the top choices for Korean online poker players.

Live Poker Legislation in South Korea

In South Korea, gambling is a crime under Chapter 23 of the Criminal Act. Article 246 stipulates that a person gambling for the purpose of gaining property shall be punished with a fine of not more than five million Won. This same section also stipulates that habitual gamblers can be punished by a prison sentence of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 20 million Won.

It is illegal for South Koreans to gamble outside of the few permitted options available to them. That is why most South Koreans gamble while on vacation in other countries, particularly in Macau and Singapore, which are both fairly close by. However, this is considered a crime, even though it takes place in a foreign country. Prosecution for overseas gambling by Koreans sometimes occurs, however, these prosecutions are usually, part of a more substantial allegation against the individual.

Live Poker Venues in South Korea

In the last years, poker tours started organizing live tournaments in Korea, which locals could participate in. Amongst them, the most famous ones were PokerStars Festival Korea, APPT Korea, which both took place at the Incheon Paradise City; as well as the APT Korea Seoul at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul.

The famous Triton Super High Rollers organization also put South Korea on their map, with a stop on Jeju Island, as well as the World Poker Tour, with their very first Event in Korea in 2018 at the Incheon Paradise City.