2,935 Horse Racing Purchase Violations Last Year... 585% Increase in 2 Years
"KRA Encourages High-Stakes Betting... Urgent Special Measures Needed"
As social problems related to gambling addiction become more serious, the Korea Racing Authority (KRA) is being criticized for enticing racing customers with a get-rich-quick mentality.
On the 22nd, Moon Geum-ju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Goheung, Boseong, Jangheung, and Gangjin), analyzed the National Assembly audit data submitted by the KRA and found that cases of violating purchase limits through consecutive purchases or proxy issuance have significantly increased.
Looking at the status of purchase limit violations, the number of cases, which had gradually decreased to 428 in 2021, surged to 2,935 last year, increasing by about 585% over two years. The number of violations up to August this year has already exceeded half of last year's total.
One of the causes for the increase in violations is identified as the automatic betting ticket vending machines. These machines are available to anyone at racecourses or off-track betting locations, allowing easy purchase by inserting a betting ticket and specifying the betting amount after buying the ticket with cash.
The current "Horse Racing Voting Terms and Conditions" stipulate a betting amount and a single purchase limit of 100,000 KRW per person, but the automatic vending machines do not have functions to restrict the number of purchases or the amount. In particular, these machines lack ▲purchase limit compliance ▲consecutive purchase prevention ▲addiction warning ▲purchase blocking mechanisms, which is analyzed as a cause encouraging high-stakes betting.
Additionally, the absence of identity verification functions means that minors, who should not participate in gambling, can easily use these machines. Consequently, youth gambling addiction is spreading recently, and urgent proactive measures are needed to block this.
Rep. Moon stated, "Gambling addiction is a national scourge that erodes individual lives and social soundness. It raises questions whether a government agency, which should set an example in solving gambling addiction problems, is instead causing serious gambling addiction beyond healthy leisure activities." She emphasized, "It is necessary to introduce preventive measures in the automatic betting ticket vending machines to prevent gambling addiction, which is spreading beyond bankrupt individuals and gambling addicts to youth."
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