Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioThe South Korean sports and betting regulator has paid sportsbook whistleblowers who reported on illegal betting operators around $407,000 this year.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the payments were made by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO), an agency operating under the auspices of the country’s Ministry of Sports and Culture.
The foundation said that it has paid out a total of 600 million won ($407,000) in 2025. It stated that it distributed half of this amount in the first six months of the year.
The money was given out “as a reward for individuals who reported illegal sports gambling.” The whistleblowers made reports via the foundation-run Illegal Sports Toto Reporting Center.
The KSPO operates the center in conjunction with its affiliate Korea Sports Leisure, the trustee of Sports Toto.
Sports Toto allows South Korean residents to place small-scale bets on domestic pro baseball, volleyball, basketball, and soccer (football) leagues. The operator runs two brands: Sports Toto and Proto.
One Informant Scoops $79K Reward
In July, the parties announced that they would pay whistleblowers up to 200 million won ($135,708) for providing accurate information about the operators of illegal sportsbooks.
The parties hold a biannual “reward payment review” event. At these events, a committee selects recipients and determines the size of their rewards.
Earlier this month, the parties stated that they had decided to pay one informant 116 million won ($78,710) for a tip.
Per the terms of the National Sports Promotion Act, courts can jail the operators of illegal sportsbooks for up to seven years. They can also impose fines of up to 70 million won (almost $48,000).
Courts can jail bettors who frequent illegal sportsbook sites for a maximum of five years. They can also impose fines of up to 50 million won ($34,000).
The foundation says it will hand out rewards of up to 15 million won ($10,178) to anyone who reports on an illegal sportsbook patron or promoter.
And KSPO officials say they will offer rewards of up to 50 million won, or approximately $34,000, to those who provide information about sports match-fixing.
Illegal Sportsbooks Accept Stablecoin Bets
A center spokesperson said: “Illegal sports gambling operators are continuing to use covert methods such as anonymous registration to promote their sportsbooks.”
“They send invitations via the Telegram chat app. And they let bettors use stablecoins like USDT to place bets,” the spokesperson said. “We call upon the public to help us eradicate illegal sports gambling, which is becoming increasingly difficult to wipe out.”
Earlier this month, South Korean government agencies said they would respond to a rise in celebrity deepfake gambling ads on social media platforms.
Many of the ads feature AI-generated videos of top stars, including singers IU and RM of BTS. Others feature soccer stars like Son Heung-min and actors such as Lee Jung-jae.
