The U.S. Forces in Korea (USFK) has ordered stricter identification checks at all gambling facilities on U.S. installations here, Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for U.S. troops overseas, reported Thursday. The measure apparently comes as the revenue raised by some 1,000 slot-machines here last year far exceeds that raised from over 1,500 machines by the U.S. Army in Europe. The U.S. Army in South Korea raised some $73.5 million in fiscal year 2007, nearly double the amount, $38.5 million, raised by the U.S. Army in Europe in the same period, the report said. This, a USFK official noted, may indicate illegal gambling by South Koreans on U.S. bases is still rampant despite years of crackdown and prevention efforts. About 28,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in South Korea while some 100,000 currently make up the U.S. presence in Europe, according to the official, who asked not to be identified. "USFK Commander (Gen. B. B.) Bell has ordered stricter identification checks at the gambling facilities and he will announce a set of new gambling regulations in March," the official said. Gambling is strictly prohibited to South Koreans whether on or off the U.S. military bases here, while only one casino is legally accessible by South Koreans. The U.S. forces here have also announced tightened entry checks at their gambling facilities following past incidents where South Koreans were caught gambling illegally at a U.S. base facility. The efforts have apparently failed, as their slot-machine revenue from last year indicates. After a former legislator of then ruling Uri Party, Song Young-jin, was shown illegally gambling at a U.S. base in October 2003, the USFK said they would strengthen identification card checks to make sure no South Korean nationals entered any of the gambling facilities on U.S. bases.