South Korean police want more punitive measures against online gambling

South Korea looks like an increasingly hostile environment for illegal online gambling operators following national police threats this week that offenders will be charged with organised crime activity, which carries heavier punishments in the form of extended imprisonment.

The police have also warned players on illegal online sites that they too will be prosecuted.

South Korea’s standard illegal gambling offences already carry hefty penalties of up to 7 years in jail and fines in excess of sixty thousand US dollars, but organised crime convictions can send an accused to jail for life, according to the Korea Times.

Organised crime charges can also spread the prosecution net wider to include web hosting companies and employees of the offending operator.

The police justify the new hard-line on online gambling by claiming that offenders are frequently part of organised crime rings