South Korea has blocked access to 1,280 illegal sports betting websites just before the FIFA World Cup 2026, as regulators expect unlicensed operators to target football fans during the tournament.
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The Korea Communications Standards Commission said the action aims to prevent “harm to the public” before betting demand rises around the World Cup. The regulator expects illegal sports gambling to become “rampant” during the six and a half week tournament.
The blocked sites did not only focus on football. The regulator said they also offered wagering on baseball, UFC, boxing, and ice hockey. South Korea allows betting only on approved sports and through licensed domestic services when those categories fall under legal betting rules.
The live betting angle drew special concern. Illegal sites often let users place wagers while an overseas match is in progress, with odds changing in real time. South Korea legal sports betting services close markets before a match begins.
The commission also warned that some unlicensed operators use World Cup interest to attract deposits and then steal player funds. That risk gives the action a consumer protection focus, not only an online content enforcement role.
The latest action adds to a wider South Korean campaign against offshore sports betting sites. The communications regulator said it will keep working with other agencies, including the National Gambling Control Commission, during major sports events.
From January to June 8, the commission handled 5,279 correction order cases tied to illegal sports gambling sites. The total reached 43,718 cases in 2025 and 69,350 cases in 2024.
Those numbers show why the World Cup has become a priority period. Major football events create a large traffic window for unlicensed operators, especially sites using live betting and overseas match coverage to attract Korean users.
South Korea has one of the stricter gambling systems in Asia. Legal sports betting runs through approved domestic channels, while offshore and unlicensed betting sites remain prohibited.