Kangwon Land Deploys Army and AI to Combat Illegal Online Gambling

The fight against illegal gambling in South Korea is reaching a new, almost martial dimension. Kangwon Land, the country's only casino operator where South Korean citizens are permitted to play, has forged a comprehensive alliance with the armed forces and national police authorities. The reason for this massive push is the increasing sophistication of illegal online gambling platforms, which frequently evade conventional monitoring methods. The cooperation extends beyond the digital space to include physical presence and joint on-site crackdowns.

The involvement of the military is particularly striking. Between October 1 and October 5, 2026, Kangwon Land utilized the 16th Gyerong Military Culture Festival near the Gyerongdae Air Base in Chungnam Province to specifically educate soldiers and their families about the dangers of the illegal market. This campaign is part of a formal memorandum of understanding with the Army Headquarters Military Police Office. The goal is to promote a healthy leisure culture and prevent military personnel from falling into the traps of unlicensed operators. According to official statements, these interactive programs received a very positive response.

Numbers and facts

Statistical evaluations of the efforts so far demonstrate the reach of these measures. This year, seven public awareness campaigns have already been conducted, with a total of 9,126 participants. Of these participants, 2,631 individuals signed a personal pledge to consistently reject illegal gambling offers. Technologically, Kangwon Land relies on the Gamble Tracker system. This Artificial Intelligence was developed in collaboration with the KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) Cybersecurity Research Center. The system scans the internet for suspicious patterns, after which dedicated staff verify the findings and gather evidence for authorities to block the sites.

"Illegal online gambling games are developing quickly and using more concealed methods. Prevention, early response, and coordination among the appropriate agencies have become even more significant." - Kim Do-gyun, CEO of Kangwon Land

Kim Do-gyun, who himself has a military background as a former commander of the Capital Defense Command with the rank of lieutenant general, emphasizes the need for an all-encompassing response system. This system connects technology and people, as well as online and offline measures.

Background

In addition to the Army, the cooperation includes the Integrated Supervisory Committee for Gambling Industries and the Game Rating and Administration Commission. By sharing information about suspected operations, the agencies have improved their ability to identify illegal activities quickly. A central component is also the public reporting system. Citizens can report suspicious sites through various channels, significantly thickening the surveillance network. In November 2026, the company also plans to have a presence at G-STAR, South Korea's largest gaming exhibition in Busan, to reach further target groups.

Why it matters for German players

Although the struggle in South Korea seems geographically distant, the parallels to the German market are unmistakable. In Germany, the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021) regulates the market extremely strictly to curb the black market. While South Korea relies on AI and the military, Germany utilizes the LUGAS system to monitor deposit limits and playing times, as well as the OASIS exclusion database. German players are allowed to deposit a maximum of 1,000 euros per month and are tied to a stake limit of 1 euro per spin on online slots. These rules serve player protection and are intended to prevent users from migrating to illegal providers without a German license. Only casinos on the official whitelist of the Joint Gambling Authority of the States (GGL) are legal and offer legal certainty. Playing with providers holding licenses from Malta (MGA) or Curacao involves a legal gray area, as they do not possess a German concession and are thus considered illegal under GlüStV 2021.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

For licensed operators in Germany, the development in South Korea signifies that the technological arms race against the black market is a global phenomenon. The GGL in Halle (Saale) is also closely observing how AI can be used to identify illegal IP addresses. German providers must meet strict compliance guidelines to maintain their licenses. The Kangwon Land case illustrates that cooperation between regulatory authorities and specialized technical centers (like KAIST in Korea) could be a model for the future to fulfill the channeling mandate. The more effectively the illegal market is combated, the more legal GGL casinos benefit, as competition becomes fairer.