• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.35
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• pp.250-291
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• 2006

This study examines the regulatory issues and introduction problems of TV-betting data broadcasts in Korea by in-depth interview with a panel group. TV-betting data broadcast services of card games and horse racing games are widely in use in Europe and other parts of the world. In order to carry out the study, a demo program of TV-betting data broadcast in the OCAP(OpenCableTM Application Platform Specification) system environment, which is the data broadcasting standard for digital cable broadcasts in Korea was exposed to the panel group and then they were interviewed after watching and using the program. The results could be summarized as below. First of all, while TV-betting data broadcasts have many elements of entertainment, the respondents thought that it would be difficult to introduce TV-betting in data broadcasts as in overseas countries largely due to social factors. In addition, in order to introduce TV-betting data broadcasts, they suggested that excessive speculativeness must be suppressed through a series of regulatory system devices, such as by guaranteeing credibility of the media based on safe security systems for transactions, scheduling programs with effective time constraints to prevent the games from running too frequently, limiting the betting values, and by prohibiting access to games through set-top boxes of other data broadcast subscribers. The general consensus was that TV-betting could be considered for gradual introduction within the governmental laws and regulations that would minimize its ill effects. Therefore, the government should formulate long-term regulations and policies for data broadcasts. Once the groundwork is laid for safe introduction of TV-betting on data broadcasts within the boundary of laws and regulations, interactive TV games are expected to be introduced in Korea not only for added functionality of entertainment but also for far-ranging development of data broadcast and new media industries.