Gambling in North Korea

We bet that gambling is not the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions North Korea. Why? Well, because the West has formed a certain image of this country and culture which is often too black and white. To majority of people in the West, North Korean regime is known as reportedly one of the strangest systems in the world. The truth is that we don’t really know how people really live out-there. Most of the information we have are mostly hearsay. Moreover, we do not really know how people live there and whether they like to gamble or not. Brace yourselves, as you may be surprised. We did a bit of research about gambling in North Korea, and this is what we came up with.

Gambling for North Koreans

Let’s start with the most important question – is gambling in North Korea legal? As you probably assumed, it is not. Only tourists have a chance to gamble in this country. Inhabitants are facing a three-year prison sentence if they’re caught at a tourist casino. Legal forms of gambling in South Korea for citizens are lotteries, boat racing, horse racing and cycling betting. According to a study by the Korean Center on Gambling Problems, the average Korean is two times more likely to suffer from gambling addiction than any other nationality.

Gambling for Tourists

As we already mentioned, it is possible for tourists to gamble in North Korea. According to the World Casino Directory, there are 22 foreigner-only casinos in North Korea. In general, North Korea invests very much in gambling in Asia. They are all available for visitors of this country only. There is only one that allows citizens of North Korea to gamble. That’s the Kangwon Land Casino & Hotel. Casino gambling is illegal even for Koreans who travel outside the country.

Racetracks Betting

People love sports, there is no difference in North Korea from the rest of the world. But, the similar rules applies to sport betting. Only tourists are allowed to bet without restraints. Sports betting is illegal for the citizens. The ones who don’t respect the rules are penalized. However, there are some exceptions. Even though they are forbidden to enter casinos and bet on majority of sports, citizens of North Korea get the chance to bet on horse races, boats, and cyclers. Koreans also have a possibility to play the lottery.

Online Gambling in North Korea

When it comes to online gambling, it is strictly illegal as well. The internet access is under surveillance of the North Korea government. It is not possible for the average citizens to access the world wide web. They can only use free domestic network that is also under censure. Numerous foreign companies offer casino and slot games to Koreans even though they are against the law. They can even be prosecution for entering it. These country’s strict laws are where the belief that Koreans are more likely to develop a gambling problem than other nationalities come from.

Surely, North Korea would have an economic reward of gambling if they relaxed these restriction. That way the gamblers would be more aware of the dangers. But, having in mind this type of system, we would say it is very ambitious to expect loosing up the laws any time soon. We hope you liked this post of ours. Let us know in the comments below if you want more of this kind of topics on our blog. Until next reading, visit our crypto friendly casino and find some interesting games to play unrestrictedly! Good luck!