Online casinos are not legal in South Korea. The government doesn’t issue gambling licenses to offshore or even domestic operators. However, lottery tickets are authorized for sale. This means that South Korean citizens cannot participate in online gambling activities in the country. These laws can result in severe punishments, such as imprisonment. So, how do Korean players access online casinos?
VPNs
Virtual private networks (VPNs) have been used for several years to access the best new casino games that have been geo-blocked. A VPN routes your Internet connection through another country that permits gambling, giving you instant access to online casinos in other parts of the world.
It works by obscuring your location and encrypting your Internet connection so the authorities cannot track or monitor your online activities. To use a VPN, you may need to find a suitable option because not all are created equal.
Some VPNs work better than others, but you may need to pay for a subscription to use them. Many Koreans first sign up for the VPN app and create an account. Then, they pay the subscription fees and prepare to use the VPN. To connect to the VPN, they simply need to click on the connect button and select a different country that allows online gambling.
Many VPNs provide options to select Western countries, such as the USA, UK, and European countries, where gambling is permitted. Some even go as far as providing VPN for specific states in these countries. After choosing a server, users can open their Internet browser and visit the online casino. It is often advisable to use a fresh window to open the casino site because the website can still pick up the real location of the user if it’s in the same window.
After signing in, you should be able to access the site and play your favorite games.
Offshore sites
Offshore sites sometimes come in handy for South Korean players. These sites are not registered in South Korea but in other countries such as Gibraltar, Malta, and the Isle of Man. These countries have more relaxed gambling regulations, and so many online casinos like to set up shop in these countries and attract international membership.
However, the problem with some of these sites is that they may be unsafe to play on. So, how do South Korean players identify the problematic sites? By checking the license of the online casino, users can confirm that the online casino is safe to play on. Respected authorities, such as the Malta Gaming Authority and the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, are some licenses to look out for.
Good offshore casinos also offer a wide range of payment options to make it easier for their international members to make payments. These payment methods consider anonymity to protect players from potential punishments.
Another consideration for players is the support options available. Most offer 24/7 support, which is very important because the player may be in a different time zone. If they need to reach support at midnight, this will be difficult unless there is 24-hour support available for players.
Legal alternatives
While South Koreans are not allowed to play in online casinos, there are some legal alternatives available to them. The South Korean government allows some physical casinos to operate and monitors all the gambling activities in these casinos. However, the physical casino is very selective about who it allows to play. So there’s a chance that the average gambler will not gain access to the games.
The other alternative for South Koreans is to bet on some sports, which the government does allow. Locals in the country can bet on sports in a pari-mutuel betting style, also called the Toto style. There’s also the Proto method for sports betting, where bettors pay for stakes and odds in decimal format.
Finally, there is the option of blockchain casinos. Since blockchain casinos offer anonymity, they are perfect for the restrictions in the country. Players can use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for example to pay for their wagers and do not need to share their private information with the casino.
Many online casino sites still accept Korean players, regardless of the country’s district gambling rules. Players can also withdraw their winnings in cryptocurrency.
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