Gambling news from http://times.hankooki.com/
Opening an Internet cafe will soon require registration following the government's decision on Thursday to tighten control over gambling services.
Currently no licensing or registration is required to open an Internet cafe, better known here as a PC Bang.
Cafe operators will also be obliged to delete betting programs from their computers, according to the new regulations, jointly drafted by the government and the governing Uri Party.
The government will be able to close businesses that violate these regulations.
To meet the purposes of eradicating the gambling services in PC Bangs, the Uri Party plans to revise relevant laws during the regular session of the National Assembly that opens in September.
Many Internet cafes recently began to run gambling programs to increase the number of customers, which has significantly dropped as most homes are now equipped with high-speed Internet services.
The governing camp also came up with measures to get rid of gift coupons that are used as real currency in the ``adult game'' facilities that mostly provide online horse-racing games.
In addition, the government plans to allow opening such adult facilities only to those who obtain the necessary license. Currently, they just need to register their business.
``Opening game clubs is much easier than starting a drugstore these days,'' Rep. Kim Geun-tae, chairman of the Uri Party, said at a session with government officials. ``I think it is not an issue that can be solved by making a complementary measure. We need to root it out now.''
The government's nationwide crackdown will continue until late October, the Office of the Prime Minister said.
All kinds of extraordinary schemes have been devised by PC Bang owners to continue their illegal business.
Police in Songnam, Kyonggi Province, said Tuesday they found one PC Bang disguising itself as a medical clinic.
Despite the hospital signs on its window, the first floor of the building was guarded by people with radios, who announce customers' arrival, and the room was equipped with 32 computers hooked to a gambling server.
Ten working staff and customers were taken to a nearby police station, along with the computers and 1.4 million won that was used for gambling.
|
|
World Casino Directory 
Gambling Forums 
