Best Live Casinos for Players from South Korea

Online gambling in South Korea

Like most Asian regions, South Korea imposes severe restrictions on its resident’s ability to gamble. Also like most Asian jurisdictions, while the government maintains that these restrictions extend implicitly to online gambling and holds a dim view of such activity, in reality no specific laws exist expressly prohibiting internet casinos and sports betting.

South Korea’s gambling landscape is particularly interesting. A single terrestrial casino legally accessible by locals exists by virtue of the ‘Special Act on the Assistance to the Development of Abandoned Mine Areas’ in the remote Kangwon province. Less geographically remote casinos do exist in hotels in Seoul, Incheon and Jeju Island, however these casinos are open to foreigners only, not South Korean residents – pursuant to the Tourism Promotion Act. Enforcement of this unusual law is taken very seriously by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

South Koreans looking to play blackjack, baccarat, sicbo or roulette must make the trek to Kangwon, fly to the likes of Macau or Singapore or further afield, or play online. As noted above, online play is frowned upon, but presently placed in the authority’s ‘too hard basket’ from a regulatory point of view.

[Update 10 April 2014]

Asian market facing live casino Bodog88 closes its doors to players from Korea.

Best live casino for South Korean players

While no casinos offering live dealer games offer Korean language or Won banking capabilities, the following operators do provide Asian based dealer rooms and Asian favorite live games.

Casinos	Player access	Banking	Toll free support	Local language	Games
Read review | Visit	No restrictions on South Korean player sign-ups	No deposit restrictions. Maintain account in USD	No	No	Asian based dealer studio including blackjack, baccarat, sicbo, roulette and baccarat variations.
Read review | Visit	No restrictions	No deposit restrictions Deposit, play and withdraw in Won	Yes	Yes	Asian based dealer studio including blackjack, baccarat, sicbo, roulette and baccarat variations.