Kangwon Land goes all out against illegal online gambling sites

Kangwon Land's headquarters in Gangwon Province / Courtesy of Kangwon Land

Kangwon Land, the nation’s only casino legally open to Korean nationals, is stepping up measures against illegal online gambling websites that falsely impersonate the casino’s name and logo.

The move comes after the casino operator detected a fraudulent gambling website May 28, that had illegally used the company’s name and logo to mislead users by displaying the casino’s official logo while redirecting them to their illegal gambling platforms.

According to Kangwon Land, the casino operator immediately reported the case, requesting the shutdown of the site with the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC).

“Kangwon Land does not operate any online casino services. It only operates the casino at the designated location in Gangwon Province,” a Kangwon Land official said in a press release.

“We will remain committed to help monitor and crack down on such illegal gambling websites by working closely with relevant authorities.”

The casino operator said it has launched a nationwide awareness campaign while using multiple channels, including its website, Instagram, blog and large electronic billboards, to warn the public against illegal online casinos posing as an official operator like Kangwon Land.

Kangwon Land has also filed a criminal complaint with police against the operators of the website.

Last year, Kangwon Land identified two similar illegal websites via its monitoring measures. Both websites were successfully blocked by the KCSC. One of them was reported to police for further investigation under charges of impersonation and illegal gambling operations.

The casino operator reported about 3,400 illegal gambling websites to the KCSC last year. It also developed the country’s first artificial intelligence-based monitoring system for detecting and analyzing illegal online gambling activities in partnership with KAIST.