South Korean Baseball Pros Suspended 30-50 Games After Taiwan Gambling Spree

Four South Korean baseball players, all members of the Busan-based Lotte Giants, have been suspended for 30 to 50 games after gambling in a Taiwanese casino.

The players were caught on CCTV placing bets at computer terminals and slot machines during a preseason training camp in Taiwan.

The footage circulated on social media earlier this month, prompting fans to decry the players’ behavior. One part of the footage appears to show a player touching a female employee. This led to allegations of sexual harassment, which the player has denied.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO)’s disciplinary committee suspended Kim Dong-hyuk, who visited the betting den three times, for 50 games, the South Korean media outlet The Gate reported.

The committee handed down 30-game suspensions to the players Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yeop, and Kim Se-min.

South Korean Baseball Gambling Controversies

The bans follow a string of previous gambling-related baseball controversies. In 2008, the Samsung Lions player Chae Tae-in was suspended for five games for placing online bets.

In 2015, two more Samsung players, the former Chicago Cubs pitcher Lim Chang-yong and his then-teammate Oh Seung-hwan, were fined KRW 10 million ($7,000) for betting on baccarat games in Macao. Lim and Oh were also hit with a 72-game suspension order.

In 2019, a group of LG players who were found gambling at a casino in Australia escaped with a warning.

“Considering past precedent, it can be said that the KBO has handed out a fairly strong punishment,” said an unnamed South Korean baseball insider. “We can assume this incident will motivate baseball players to abandon gambling once and for all.”

The KBO said the Lotte players had violated Article 151 of its rules. This clause prohibits gambling and “conduct that damages the dignity of KBO teams.”

Disrespecting the League

Critics say the quartet had shown “disrespect” by ignoring the KBO’s prior warnings on gambling while overseas.

The same media outlet said a “recent shift in perception regarding gambling in any form, regardless of the severity of the case,” had also driven the KBO’s ruling.

The South Korean broadcaster SPOTV reported that Lotte, the KBO, or the police may take additional disciplinary action against the four players.

Earlier reports that the gambling venue was an illegal betting den have proved false. But the CCTV footage appears to capture violations of Taiwanese gambling laws. These reportedly include high-value prizes, which are illegal under Taiwanese betting regulations.

Kim Dong-hyuk, for instance, took a commemorative photo with one of the prizes he won during a visit: a voucher for a new iPhone 16 handset. Single prizes must not exceed $63 in value, according to Taiwanese regulations.

Apple iPhone 16 devices currently retail for around $700.

Police Probe Continues

“A police investigation is ongoing,” confirmed a KBO official. The same official said the players’ behavior had “tarnished the league’s image.”

“We may impose additional sanctions depending on the results of the police investigation,” the spokesperson added.

Lotte’s coaching staff said the suspensions would likely leave the quartet unfit when they return to action. This will even be the case if they play in minor league games, coaches said.

If further disciplinary action is taken following the police investigation, fans may not see Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yeop, Kim Dong-hyeok, or Kim Se-min on the field at all this season, SPOTV explained.

The KBO season gets underway in late March. Pre-season games start on March 12.

Gambling-related controversies continue to plague the world of East Asian sports world. Nine teams in China’s top soccer league, the Chinese Super League, will begin the season with negative point tallies after a major crackdown on match-fixing last month.

In 2024, 43 players, including the South Korean midfielder Son Jun-ho, were handed lifetime bans by the Chinese Football Association.

Meanwhile, in Japan, several unnamed baseball pros have been caught up in a crackdown on online casinos.

Accessing online casinos from Japanese soil is a criminal offence. Most players have accepted minor fines or warnings after voluntarily admitting to visiting casino platforms on their mobile phones.

The Japanese baseball authorities say they are providing rookies with educational sessions on the dangers of online gambling.