KOREAN GAMBLING KEEPS GROWING

Race tracks the biggest attraction 8,26 million South Koreans went gambling last (2008) year, recording another annual increase in the number of local residents gambling at legal establishments in the Asian country, according to a report released this

2009-09-28

Race tracks the biggest attraction

8,26 million South Koreans went gambling last (2008) year, recording another annual increase in the number of local residents gambling at legal establishments in the Asian country, according to a report released this week by the National Tax Service.

The latest numbers represent a 16 percent increase from 2007, and a substantial jump from 2006, when the number was 5.22 million.

Legal betting at racetracks was the biggest drawcard, pulling in 4.07 million punters, followed by casino gambling at the sole land casino in the country that admits local players, Kangwon Land, where 2.91 gamblers visited. Interest in cycling races accounted for 1..28 million.

The National Tax Service statistics are based on the amount of individual consumption tax paid by people visiting legal gambling facilities.