WINNABLE
具有法律效力的依据为韩文法律及官方指南原文。当前英文内容仅供参考，中文法务审校版将在批准后发布。
LEGAL BASIS · 韩国《观光振兴法》
WINNABLE applies a published operating policy, based on Article 26-2 of Korea’s Tourism Promotion Act and the May 2024 interagency guideline, to events it organizes or co-organizes. The official Korean article, the guideline’s assessment elements and WINNABLE’s policy are identified separately below. This is not legal advice or a guarantee of legality for any individual event.
THE ARTICLE
Tourism Promotion Act, Article 26-2 · Prohibition of casino-like activities
“No person other than a licensed casino operator shall, for profit, provide casino game types under Article 26 in a manner that grants a property benefit to certain users while causing losses to other users. (Unofficial translation)”
FOUR ELEMENTS
The interagency guideline explains four elements used to assess casino-like activity. WINNABLE’s published policy is designed to prevent the fourth element; any event-specific assessment depends on the actual facts of operation.
The legal elementApplies to every operator without a casino licence from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
WINNABLE’s structure
WINNABLE is not a licensed casino operator — it is squarely subject to this article and operates by its standards.
The legal elementIntent to gain direct or indirect property benefit from operating a business; courts recognize even repeat-visit inducement as for-profit.
WINNABLE’s structure
WINNABLE is a for-profit company and does not pretend otherwise — revenue comes only from sponsorship and operations fees, never from participants’ money.
The legal elementThe 18 table games (roulette, blackjack, poker, etc.) and machine games in Annex 8 — Texas hold’em is a form of poker.
WINNABLE’s structure
WINNABLE’s Texas hold’em tournaments are this game type — which is exactly why blocking the fourth element is the whole operation.
The legal elementGranting property benefit to some users while causing losses to others; chips, seats or points exchangeable for cash or goods count as property value.
WINNABLE’s structure
WINNABLE’s published operating policy is designed to prevent this element through zero entry fees, zero cash-outs, zero ticket-to-value exchange and zero player-to-player property gains, with prizes and operating costs funded by corporate sponsorship. The legal assessment of an individual event depends on its actual operation and applicable law.
SIX NON-NEGOTIABLES
Entry fees, add-ons and re-buy-ins, chip cash-outs, seat-ticket trading, cash-value point conversion and player-to-player monetary gain — none of the six exists in any WINNABLE event.
01
Prizes are never funded by entry fees. Tickets are earned per event notice.
02
Chips are never purchased — no add-ons and no re-buy-ins. Re-entry, where an event offers it, is free like the entry itself.
03
Tournament chips are marked NO CASH VALUE and are never cashed out.
04
Seats are non-transferable and cannot be sold or proxied.
05
Tickets and points are never exchanged for cash or goods.
06
No monetary gain or loss occurs between participants.
GUIDELINE CASES
The guidelines name three representative illegal patterns. Next to each, WINNABLE’s actual structure.
Case 1 · Illegal seat tickets
Seat tickets exchangeable for cash or goods, or tickets whose winner cannot be identified.
WINNABLE tickets are participation-only: never exchangeable, issued and used against verified identity, and non-transferable.
Case 2 · Illegal points
Points that can be cashed out, or spent on drinks, food or entry.
WINNABLE has no cash-value points. No point, chip or ticket converts to cash, goods or crypto — every chip is engraved NO CASH VALUE.
Case 3 · Illegal tournaments
Events funding prizes from entry fees — or, even with sponsored prizes, spending entry fees on event operations.
WINNABLE events carry no entry fee at all — prizes and operating costs are fully sponsor-funded, so entry money cannot flow into prizes or operations, structurally.
FUNDING & OPERATION FLOW
Prize funds and operating accounts are managed separately by source; disbursements are documented in settlement records and result reports.
HOW WE OPERATE
WINNABLE follows the guidelines prohibiting casino-like operations and builds a sound hold’em culture in Korea and its value as a sport.
TICKETS
Ticket acquisition varies by event and is announced on each event poster.
TICKET USE
Tickets are used only to participate and cannot be exchanged for cash or goods.
SPONSORSHIP
Prizes and operating costs are never funded by participants — corporate sponsorship is executed in advance (WINNABLE-hosted events).
TRANSPARENCY
Rules and prize information are disclosed in advance.
PROHIBITED
Funding prizes from entry fees and any unlawful conduct are prohibited.
STANDARD AGREEMENTS
Sponsorship, winner consent and marketing partnership are all executed in writing on standard forms, provided to each counterparty.
SPONSORSHIP
Fixes prize and operating funds, brand-exposure scope and reporting duties in writing, in advance.
WINNER CONSENT
Confirms publication of the win, name and likeness and payout details under the winner’s own signature, with an explicit per-clause right to refuse.
MARKETING PARTNER
Standardizes partner scope, settlement and compliance duties so every campaign runs on the same terms.
PROTECTION & REPORTING
The guidelines require that minors be restricted from entry and employment at hold’em venues even without monetary exchange. The WINNABLE Rulebook v1.0 bars minors under Korean law (under 19) from participating; individual events may raise the age, and every player must pass an ID check.
Casino-like activities are punishable under the Tourism Promotion Act and anyone may report them. WINNABLE does not operate outside these standards and applies the same bar to the industry. Suspected violations can be reported to the agencies below.
REVIEW SCOPE
Applicable regulations, operating standards and campaign structure are reviewed to design project-level principles. Legal review, where obtained, is never extended beyond its scope.
Legal and tax wording follows expert- or company-approved language before publication.