[비즈한국] As the government has announced plans to expand the range of sports covered by Sports Toto, the possibility of including eSports is once again in the spotlight. While expectations are rising as the content is included in the government’s official policy, observers point out that there are significant challenges to address before actual implementation, such as match integrity and institutional status.
On September 4, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced its "Sports Policy Vision 2030," which outlines mid-to-long-term sports policy directions. A notable aspect of this vision is the section related to Sports Toto. The government proposed a plan to strengthen the competitiveness of Sports Toto to shift the market structure, which currently favors illegal markets, and to build a sound sports betting ecosystem.
Sports Toto is a sports promotion lottery business operated for the purpose of creating the National Sports Promotion Fund. It operates by allowing individuals to predict game results, purchase betting tickets, and receive payouts if they win. The funds raised through the business are used for expanding sports facilities and promoting and supporting sports.
Currently, Sports Toto covers five sports: soccer, basketball, golf, baseball, and volleyball. No new sports have been added since volleyball was included in 2006. While other sports like Go (Baduk) and handball have been discussed, they have not yet led to actual inclusion.
In this vision, the government has revived the plan to expand the list of issued sports. By 2028, it plans to increase the number of Sports Toto sports by reflecting changes in the sports environment—such as the launch of new professional leagues in billiards, table tennis, and handball—as well as consumer demand. Notably, by citing the adoption of eSports as an official event at the Asian Games as one of the key environmental changes, the government has left the door open for its future inclusion in Sports Toto.
This is not the first time the inclusion of eSports in Sports Toto has been discussed. Since 2020, when existing professional sports games were suspended one after another due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity of inclusion was raised to diversify funding for the National Sports Promotion Fund and to legalize illegal eSports betting. In 2021, the Korea e-Sports Association and then-Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-hun held a forum, which began full-scale institutional discussions, followed by active research and review on the matter.
Political proposals have also continued. During the 2022 presidential election, both Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party mentioned including eSports in sports promotion lotteries. During the 2024 general election, the Reform Party made a campaign promise to include eSports in the list of Sports Toto offerings.
However, it appears that the discussion on introduction is not yet in full swing. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated that it has not yet issued a notice for new sports and plans to hold a public call within this year before reviewing applications submitted by organizations based on criteria such as those in the enforcement decree.
The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), a major domestic eSports league, also stated that discussions have not reached a concrete stage. An LCK official responded cautiously, saying, "We are aware of the 'Sports Policy Vision 2030' announced by the Ministry on the 4th," but added, "Nothing has been discussed in detail, and as such, it is difficult to state LCK's position based on the assumption of inclusion."
Experts point out that the inclusion of eSports in Sports Toto should not be viewed simply as adding another sport to the list. They argue that there are significant issues to address, such as the institutional status of sports organizations, interests involving existing sports, and match integrity.
Gong Jeon-young, a professor in the Department of eSports at Dong-A University, emphasized, "Before eSports is included in Sports Toto, inadequate systems and legal requirements—such as how to ensure the fairness of matches and how to protect players—must be improved first." He added, "The introduction of eSports to Sports Toto means it will be recognized as an industry with the responsibility of an official sport. If it is introduced after institutional concerns are resolved, it would be very positive."
Choi Eun-kyung, a professor of the eSports Convergence Major at Hanshin University, expressed concern that if eSports is newly introduced while the current Sports Toto system operates with existing sports bearing the responsibilities and obligations of institutional sports, it might be difficult for the current sports to accept it. Professor Choi pointed out, "The professional sports currently included in Sports Toto are all full members of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee," and added, "It is doubtful whether soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, and golf, which have fulfilled their history, responsibilities, and obligations as full members, would agree to the institutional changes resulting from the inclusion of eSports."