The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) are stepping up their efforts to eradicate unlicensed internet gaming facilities in lodging establishments. By coordinating with local governments and hosting industry roundtables, they are strengthening guidance on legal compliance and preventive activities against illegal operations to ensure a healthy gaming distribution environment.

This measure was prepared to address the spread of 'Gametels'—a term for motels and similar lodgings that install and provide games on room PCs without the proper registration required by the Game Industry Promotion Act. This issue was also highlighted during the recent national audit, which prompted calls for countermeasures.

The MCST has sent official requests to regional governments across the country, urging them to provide guidance on relevant laws and strengthen monitoring activities for local lodging businesses.

The GRAC held roundtables with PC bang associations to listen to the realities of unlicensed gaming operations in lodging businesses and discuss collaborative measures to resolve the issue.

Furthermore, they engaged with three major lodging booking platforms to share cases of advertising and operations that could be mistaken for unlicensed gaming services. They specifically requested stricter self-regulation regarding online and on-site advertisements that use terms such as 'game room' or 'PC bang'.

Moving forward, the MCST and GRAC plan to continue strengthening guidance and monitoring in cooperation with local governments to eradicate unlicensed gaming operations in lodging establishments. For businesses where clear illegal activities are confirmed after the guidance period, they plan to conduct joint crackdowns with relevant agencies, including the MCST, local governments, the National Police Agency, and the GRAC, to root out illegal operations.