The government of South Korea is considering the integration of esports into the state betting system known as Sports Toto by the year 2028.
The primary objective of this reform is to redirect funds from the shadow sector into the official economy. According to ministry data, the volume of the country's illegal sports betting market reached 21.7 trillion won, which exceeds 15 billion dollars, representing almost four times the size of the legal market.
Sports Toto plans to launch an official mobile application in 2027, extend operating hours for accepting bets to cover tournaments held in Europe and America, and introduce a real-time betting system by 2028. Additionally, an increase is expected in the payout percentage for winners, which currently stands at approximately 64 percent.
Note: This article is based on publicly available sources and reflects information available at the time of publication. Details may change; check the original or official source for updates.
