Gambling is becoming a serious problem in Korean society. One need look no further than the recent string of news reports on gambling scandals involving people from various walks of life.
The cases reflect the phenomenon that people who make money more quickly and easily than ordinary Koreans easily fall into the trap of illegal gambling, which could be as addictive as other social vices, like excessive drinking and drug abuse.
One such example is the case involving two pitchers of the Samsung Lions baseball club. The two are under investigation over allegations that they gambled in Macau recently.
Sports stars like the Samsung pitchers, entertainers and other celebrities often ruin their careers after they are caught gambling illegally, usually overseas.
Illegal gambling is also common among business tycoons and executives. Most recently, Jeong Un-ho, CEO of Nature Republic, a local cosmetics brand that has grown rapidly in recent years, was indicted last week for illegal gambling overseas. Police also took the CEO of a shipping firm into custody on the same charges.
Gambling is often accompanied by heinous crimes. In May, prosecutors charged Jang Se-joo, CEO of Dongkuk Steel, for using tens of billions won in company funds to gamble.
Also at risk is taxpayers’ money. Currently six former and serving members of the city council in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, are under police investigation over allegations that they gambled during trips in and outside the country. All the trips were financed by taxpayers’ money.
All these cases — involving celebrities, businesspeople and even public officials — show how rampant gambling is in our society.
One of the first steps to fight gambling is cracking down on not only gamblers but also operators of illegal gambling businesses — especially those who arrange gambling in casinos and gambling houses overseas and those who run illegal Internet sites.
The former group secures exclusive gambling rooms in foreign casinos and offers them to gamblers they recruit in the country. They often lend money to the gamblers at exorbitant interest rates and engage in unlawful foreign exchange transactions. In many cases, organized crime rings are involved in the business.
Illegal Internet gambling sites should be another target of the government clampdown. Only last week, police arrested members of a ring that pocketed 16 billion won over four years by running illegal gambling sites.
These people keep their Internet servers in foreign countries – such as China and the Philippines — and use phones and bank accounts opened under false or borrowed names.
Given the increasingly complicated operation of illegal gambling business, officials should work out comprehensive measures, which of course should include those for increasing cooperation with international organizations like the Interpol and foreign governments.
