Look, let's be honest about buying and selling virtual currency for real cash—it is completely illegal, yet the practice simply refuses to die. During the parliamentary audit, authorities caught a rather cheeky loophole where users effectively traded game currency among themselves while disguising the entire operation under the wholesome label of 'donating'.

On October 12, during the parliamentary audit by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, People Power Party Representative Jung Yeon-wook targeted Game Rating and Administration Committee Chairman Seo Tae-gun to call out illegal cash-out schemes happening within sports prediction games, demanding a full-scale inspection and prompt follow-up measures.

The example brought up by Representative Jung involves a sports prediction game currently operating with an official rating from the committee. Gamers and cash brokers make contact via in-game messages, after which the gamer transfers the virtual currency to a specific welfare organisation using the 'donating' feature, and the broker deposits actual cash straight into the gamer's account. Representative Jung stated, "They claim cash-outs range from a minimum of 10,000 KRW to a maximum of 10,000,000 KRW, and when asked whether one could simply donate winnings and report the converted amount, the response was a cheerful 'yes'."

Inside the game, the feature goes by the name of 'donating', but in reality, it functions as a peer-to-peer virtual currency transfer network. Operating under a definition that strays far from its original meaning, this so-called 'donating' mechanism successfully pulls the wool over the eyes of everyday gamers and the committee tasked with cracking down on illegal cash-outs. Representative Jung pointed out, "The committee's rating classification is being weaponised as a promotional tool for 'official approval' and 'legal service', yet right inside the game, brokers are happily walking players through cash conversion methods."

One of the problematic games mentioned this time was already busted back in 2024 by the committee for 'currency broker cash-out activities' and even referred for a police investigation. However, the lawmaker's office checked the exact same game this year only to find brokers active once again, guiding users through cash conversion tricks via features like donating. Representative Jung explained, "The three welfare organisations visible on the donation screen are the exact same institutions that were caught two years ago."

Consequently, Representative Jung demanded a comprehensive audit of all sports prediction games operating in South Korea by the committee, alongside stricter management for previously penalised titles. He stated, "According to the data submitted by the committee, there are currently 88 sports prediction games with valid ratings," adding that "we need a complete inspection across all 88 titles to check for workaround cash-outs via in-game messaging, chat, external brokers, donations, sponsorships, or coupons, and games with a history of cash-out violations must be managed separately as high-risk groups."

Game Rating and Administration Committee Chairman Seo Tae-gun responded, "Back in 2023, a year before we requested a police investigation, we revoked the age rating of the sports prediction game where cash-outs became an issue. Since 2023, we have completely eradicated gifting and donating features that easily facilitate cash conversions." He further noted, "What is currently causing trouble are games that received their ratings prior to 2023. We will conduct a thorough investigation into that matter to ensure everything is sorted out, and I will report the specific plan to the representative separately."