The concept of play-to-earn has been reintroduced into games thanks to the NFT rush, so there are games that are promoted primarily as a way to earn money. They work either by playing and earning goods that can be sold to other players for real money, or by playing for someone with their team of characters while spreading the benefits of the activity. Well, this activity is being prohibited by South Korea when they see that they go against the laws against gambling.
The South Korean government has taken steps to block the launch of new play-to-earn games and has asked Google and Apple to remove existing games from their respective app stores. Part of this ban is due in South Korea, rewards valued at more than 10.000 won, equivalent to about € 7,5, are prohibited. This is an especially low figure to ensure that money laundering using this method is especially inconvenient.
South Korea says it doesn't want play-to-earns
South Korea's Gaming Management Committee has asked major mobile app markets to block any games that require in-app purchases before playing. They see it as a speculative way of making money, thereby making it impossible for P2E game developers to list their works on the most popular mobile app stores.
There have already been legal battles over play-to-earn games in Korea. But it is not about the implications of making money playing, since the problem is that some game applications cannot obtain the age rating required to register in the application store. One representative justified the absence of age ratings on the very idea that prize money can be considered rewards.
The Fivestars for Klaytn P2E game and the NFT market were initially blocked in the national app stores due to a lack of rating. They won a court order last June and the game could be listed. The final decision on the legal status of the game is expected to set a legal precedent for other P2E games.
