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 BioA South Korean lawmaker says censors in the country are “overwhelmed” with reports of illegal gambling-related posts on social media platforms like YouTube, X, and Instagram, leading to a large backlog.
The South Korean media outlet Pinpoint News reported that the claims came from the MP Choi Soo-jin, a member of the main opposition People Power Party. Choi is also a member of the National Assembly’s Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting, and Communications.
The lawmaker stated that, according to data obtained from the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), South Koreans have filed hundreds of thousands of reports regarding illegal posts uploaded to YouTube, X, and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram.
The KMCC is South Korea’s media regulator. It has the authority to issue blocking orders to Internet service providers. It can also order websites and social media to remove posts that contain illegal material.
Illegal Gambling Backlog Could Take ‘Several Months’ to Clear
The watchdog’s data shows that, as of October 2025, 168,000 cases are still “awaiting review.”
Of these, 67,000 cases are related to illegal gambling, online betting rings, and unlicensed sports betting platforms.
A further 10,000 cases involve the sale of illegal food and medicine. And 27,000 cases are related to adult pornography and prostitution.
However, the majority of the cases pertain to illicit filming of a sexual nature. The backlog also contains thousands of cases related to child and deepfake pornography.
With its current workforce, the media outlet wrote, “review delays of several months or more are currently unavoidable.”
Despite the backlog, the KMCC reports that its deletion and blocking rate has increased from 70.67% in 2023 to 81.22% in 2024. This shows its efficiency is improving, the watchdog said.
New Legislation Needed, Says Lawmaker
Critics argue that South Korean law is still hindering efforts to combat the issue. Existing legislation allows the KMCC and other bodies to oblige domestic operators to remove posts and block accounts.
However, in the case of gambling and other illegal posts on overseas-based platforms, watchdogs must instead ask domestic network operators to block offending content.
This, critics explain, is a “structural limitation” that reduces the effectiveness of KMCC-issued sanctions.
Choi called for tougher measures and new legislation to help take down illegal content. She said: “We have a situation where various types of illegal information, including illegal filming, gambling, illegal food and drugs, and prostitution, are exploding. We must urgently automate review processes and improve AI detection tools. We must also establish a basis for sanctioning overseas businesses.”
In October, the KMCC announced that South Korean online casino spammers had failed to pay fines totaling $13.9 million in the first half of 2025.
