The South Korean lottery operator says it will pay whistleblowers who report illegal sportsbook platforms $10 for each site they report as part ot its World Cup crackdown.
The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation is the operator of Sports Toto, the state-run pro sports pools-type betting platform.
Sports Toto and its sister brand, Proto, are the only forms of sports betting permitted in South Korea, outside of permit-holding horse racetracks and traditional bullfighting arenas.
But the foundation says World Cup mania is driving a wave of illegal gambling. Soccer fans, it said, are turning to illegal platforms to place bets.
The announcement comes days after Sports Toto unveiled a special World Cup prediction offering. The offering lets punters place outright bets on the tournament winner.
World Cup Whistleblowers Program: Koreans Offered Cash
The foundation said it will make payouts worth 15,000 won ($10) per site, but will set a monthly limit of 1.5 million won (just under $1,000).
No individual will be able to claim more than 100,000 won (over $65) for the duration of the reporting period, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
The foundation said it will only make payouts if the web watchdog, the Broadcasting and Communications Deliberation Commission, decides to block a site based on a whistleblower’s report.
The nation’s betting regulator, the Korea Gambling Control Commission, is also operating what it calls an “intensive reporting period” that will end on August 31.
The Commission said it would crack down on illegal sports gambling sites, amid “rampant” activity linked to the World Cup.
The foundation, meanwhile, said it plans to carry out “preemptive prevention and enforcement activities” in the days ahead.
The lottery operator said that its new campaign would “encourage citizens to report illegal sports gambling sites.”
Toto: World Cup Origins
The foundation’s own roots go back to the year before South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup.
The government says that all revenue generated by Sports Toto and Proto is handed over to the National Sports Promotion Fund.
The fund is charged with supporting both grassroots sports teams and professional leagues.
South Koreans can place their bets using paper tickets in designated stores or the Sports Toto web platform Betman.
However, the foundation has found itself in the spotlight in recent months amid a rise in youth sports gambling.
Media outlets have reported that young teenagers are stealing ID documents in a bid to access the Betman platform.
Once they have gained access, youths are spending up to five hours per day placing bets on the site.
Sports Toto’s annual revenues are approximately $4 billion.
The lottery’s trustee, Korea Sports Leisure, has previously offered informants cash payments of up to $134,000 for information about suspected match-fixing.
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