Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Drives Regulatory Innovation in Culture, Arts, and Tourism
Domestic Idea Development 'Brog' Pilot Operation Underway
Possible Revision of Tourism Promotion Act Enforcement Rules
Focus on Domestic Business Introduction and Overseas Sales Success
A rare favorable atmosphere has been created in the casino industry, which had been subject to various regulations due to the stigma of being a gambling industry. A table game created by domestic workers' ideas is being introduced in business establishments, and the government has decided to review related procedures to allow the export of intellectual property (IP) overseas.
The newly developed casino game 'BROG' table demonstrated by Percent K, an in-house venture of Grand Korea Leisure (GKL)
According to the related industry on the 4th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented five basic directions?regulatory innovation in new industries, creation of exports and investments, resolution of difficulties for small business owners and companies, revitalization of regional culture and tourism, and life-oriented regulatory innovation?and announced 20 tasks at the Regulatory Innovation Promotion Meeting held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul branch, chaired by Minister Yoon In-chon.
Among the detailed promotion tasks, a plan was included to allow pilot operation within six months to verify the gambling nature of newly developed casino games. This is commonly evaluated by the industry as a regulatory innovation plan keeping in mind the newly developed domestic casino game content 'BROG'.
BROG is a table game independently developed by employees of 'Percent K,' an in-house venture of Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), which operates the foreigner-only casino Seven Luck. Since 2017, they have concretized the idea and succeeded in development, completing domestic patent registration in 2022 as a table-based card game service. However, for nearly two years, they have not been able to commercialize it or introduce it to domestic and overseas casino establishments.
To sell or introduce new casino games in domestic business establishments, the type of business must be registered according to the Enforcement Rules of the Tourism Promotion Act under related laws. However, the current enforcement rules limit registration to 18 games previously classified, such as table games, electronic table games, and machine games. Even if a new game is developed, if it does not fall within this scope, it cannot be verified or introduced through pilot operation.
This also blocks opportunities to export casino games and earn foreign currency. When considering the introduction of new games in overseas casino markets, factors such as the interest of the developing country and sales performance at home are taken into account, but under current laws, there is no opportunity to prove this.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to start revising the enforcement rules to allow pilot operation within six months for new business (game) types according to this regulatory innovation promotion plan. Afterward, points to be supplemented during the execution of new games and gambling evaluations will be comprehensively reviewed, and permission will be decided through discussions with related ministries.
A tourism industry official said, "Since it is necessary to examine various perspectives such as payout rates, win-loss probability calculations, and potential problems arising during operation, there are many variables and it may take considerable time until the new game is officially approved," but added, "It is a meaningful progress that the competent ministry, which had been reluctant to ease regulations due to the strong perception of casinos as a gambling industry, is now willing to promote the revision of enforcement rules."
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