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Whistleblowers in South Korea received hundreds of thousands of dollars this year for tipping off authorities about illegal betting operations.
The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO), which works under the Ministry of Sports and Culture, confirmed it paid out 600 million won, about $407,000, in rewards during 2025. Half of that amount was distributed in the first six months, showing how active the reporting system has become.
The payouts were made through the illegal Sports Toto Reporting Center, a platform run by KSPO together with its affiliate Korea Sports Leisure. Officials said the rewards were designed to encourage citizens to come forward with information that helps dismantle unlicensed gambling networks.
Sports Toto itself remains the only legal betting channel in the country, allowing small wagers on domestic baseball, volleyball, basketball, and soccer leagues. Operated under the brands Sports Toto and Proto, the system is tightly regulated.
Both bettors and operators can face penalties under gaming laws
South Korean regulators are making it clear that punishment applies not only to those running illegal sportsbooks but also to the people who use them.
Under the National Sports Promotion Act, operators risk up to seven years in prison and fines reaching 70 million won (about $48,000). Bettors themselves are not spared, courts can hand down sentences of up to five years and fines of 50 million won ($34,000) for those caught gambling on unlicensed platforms.
In addition to these penalties, authorities continue to encourage public reporting. In July, officials announced that whistleblowers could earn rewards as high as 200 million won ($135,708) for exposing operators.
The system is reviewed twice a year, with a committe deciding who qualifies and how much they receive. Earlier this month, one informant was awarded 116 million won ($78,710) for a single tip.
The foundation has also widened the scope of rewards. Anyone who reports a patron or promoter of illegal sportsbooks can receive up to 15 million won ($10,178). For information tied to match‑fixing, the incentive rises to 50 million won ($34,000).
“Illegal sports gambling operators are continuing to use covert methods such as anonymous registration to promote their sportsbooks,” a center spokesperson stated, according to CasinoBeats.
“They send invitations via the Telegram chat app. And they let bettors use stablecoins like USDT to place bets, we call upon the public to help us eradicate illegal sports gambling, which is becoming increasingly difficult to wipe out.”
