Game Industry Regulators to Relax Regulation on Mobile Game Money Recharging

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – The Game Rating and Administration Committee said on October 31 that it would allow mobile game users to recharge their game money credit within a certain limit in the same way as desktop computer games. Accordingly, each user will now be able to choose either the mobile or computer platform within the purchasing limit of 300,000 won (US$279).

Since November 2010, the committee has restricted the use of game money across mobile and computer platforms, especially between the two platforms in board games such as Go-Stop and Poker. It was intended to prevent the games from developing into full-fledged gambling while making it easier for the regulators to supervise the state of credit transactions.

For six months between March and August this year, the committee held several rounds of policy meetings named the “private-public mobile board game policy council” to revise the rating standards by inviting industry experts, government officials, and university professors in a situation where mobile board games were flooding the market.

The committee finally came up with an expanded version of the rating scheme for mobile board games based on what has been discussed in the council meetings after a thorough review of the possible outcome of the new scheme in terms of preventing game addiction among youths.

An official with the Game Rating and Administration Committee said, “In order to overcome the general perception that we are a stodgy regulatory body and reposition us as a service organization making active communication with interested parties in the market, we will do everything we can to improve the current rating scheme not catching up with the current change in the market. As to the concerns whether the new deregulatory measure may encourage young people to gamble more, we will make sure to strengthen supervision in that area.”

By Sean Chung (schung10@koreabizwire.com)