◆ Poker
Korean Police Cracking Down on ‘Hold’em Pubs’
The Korean National Police Agency said it will conduct a crackdown on illegal gambling, focused on so-called “hold ’em pubs.” A targeted crackdown will run through the summer, from May 1 to Aug. 31.
The crackdown will focus on “pseudo casino operations”, specifically, the acts of exchanging game chips for cash or coins. Illegal gambling house operators, taking commissions and other profits, will also be a target of the crackdown.
Despite three crackdowns beginning in 2023 that led to more than 6,000 arrests, Korean police say that illegal gambling at hold ’em pubs is continuing at high levels. Police said the prior arrests confiscated 24 billion won (~$16 million).
The police agency is also urging the public to submit active tips to help uncover these underground games.
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Gambling Mostly Illegal For Korean Citizens
According to Article 246 of the Criminal Act in Korean law, gambling is illegal for all citizens. The casinos in parts of Korea, such as those on Jeju, cater only to foreigners.
Chinese citizens are the most common visitors to the Jeju casinos, using the nearby distance to escape the anti-gambling laws from their own nation.
There is just one legal casino for Korean citizens that has acted as an exception to the law since the 1990s — Kangwon Land Casino in Jeongseon-gun.
The Need For Illicit Hold’em Pubs
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The island of Jeju has become a poker hotspot for internationals, who travel from all over the world for tournaments such as the Asian Poker Tour and the Triton Super High Roller Series.
But despite that growing popularity, Korean citizens still lack legal poker options in their own country.
This has led to the rise of hold’em pubs, drinking establishments that act as poker-themed bars. The hold’em pubs are popular for people in Korea looking to play poker. A Reddit thread from a year ago includes people discussing where they could be found, something about which Korean authorities have no doubt taken heed. One user reported that they were plentiful a year ago.
There are card rooms everywhere. Just have to find one. I’ve played at a few and never had a problem being paid when I won.
Another thread from two years ago goes into more detail about the poker pubs. One comment lays out the details of how one poker pub operates:
The tournament and cash games house normally takes 20% of the top. 50K, 100K buy-ins for tournaments are normal, with rebuys allowed. Cash games max starts at 200K, and rebuys normally take a smaller cut. Most give you free drinks and some will order food as service during break times. Some are shady, where it is difficult to see who the employees are and who are actual player customers.
Illegal, but unless the amount goes really high, authorities do not care much. There was a case where people were caught gambling, the money was around 2 million, and the judge ruled the amount was small and would fall under a friendly game among friends rather than hardcore gambling.
For reference, 50,000 won is about $34, so the games cited are indeed quite small. Seoul, Busan, and Incheon were all mentioned as hold’em pub hotspots.
As for authorities not caring, that looks like it may be changing.
Jeffrey McMillan
Poker Writer
Jeffrey is an Expert Sports and Poker Writer with poker being his specific scope for the better part of five years. He has worked in various capacities at the biggest poker events in the world, WSOP, EPT, local tournaments and more. He has worked with PokerNews, Poker.Org, 888poker and the WSOP itself through the years. Jeff is also a fervent follower of many sports, professional, collegiate and international, with a particular interest in tennis. He received a Master's in Sports Management from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and a Bachelors in the same field from Clemson University.