South Korea could make esports part of its legal betting system

As part of its Sports 2030 Policy Vision, the South Korean government revealed in a press briefing that they are considering the idea of adding esports to the country’s legal sports betting system, Sports Toto.

South Korean authorities said they have already formed a committee to study the proposal and establish standards for determining whether esports can be officially introduced to the country’s only legal betting platform.

Along with esports, they are also looking into other betting markets as well, specifically handball, billiards, and table tennis. While the government didn’t provide a timeline for when it would reach a decision, it believes expanding Sports Toto’s offerings could help fund local sports programs and combat illegal betting markets.

South Korea acknowledging esports as a viable betting option

The Sports 2030 Policy Vision of South Korea is a set of sports policies initiated by the administration of Lee Jae Myung. The policies contain plans to improve the country’s overall competitiveness in sports by building an “ecosystem where sports industries are linked together and grow together.”

With reports pointing to a decline in South Korea’s iGaming market following government crackdowns on illegal gambling sites, authorities are now looking at ways to redirect local betting activity toward funding the growth of various sports programs, particularly those facing financial difficulties. Since esports is one of the country’s most popular sports, its inclusion in Sports Toto could provide another source of funding while giving local bettors a regulated option for esports betting.

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What it means for South Korean esports fans

If the proposal moves forward, South Korean esports fans could eventually see competitive gaming become part of the country’s regulated sports betting system. 

The move could significantly impact South Korea’s esports industry. Additional revenue generated through Sports Toto could potentially contribute to sports funding. However, expanding legal betting to esports could also raise concerns over match-fixing and other integrity issues, particularly for local tournaments where increased betting activity could create greater incentives for teams or players to manipulate results.

For now, though, fans will have to wait for the committee to establish its standards and for the government to decide whether esports meets them.