South Korean police claim to have broken up US$17.3bn illegal gambling network
Police say the operation supplied 188 gambling websites and enabled operators to launch new platforms in as little as 10 minutes.
Key takeaways:
- South Korean police allege that an illegal gambling network handled KRW23tn (US$17.3bn) in wagers. The network allegedly supplied 188 illegal gambling websites between March 2023 and July 2026.
- Investigators estimate the operation generated KRW150bn (US$113m) in illicit profits.
- Police arrested 77 people, detained 21 and froze KRW9.6bn (US$7.2m) in suspected criminal proceeds.
- Authorities shut down 118 websites, blocked 408 related addresses and issued Interpol Red Notices for 12 suspects abroad.
South Korea.- South Korean police say they have broken up what they describe as the country’s largest illegal online gambling network. They say the operation was based in Vietnam and Cambodia that allegedly handled KRW23tn (US$17.3bn) in wagers.
The Chungnam Provincial Police Agency said the network produced 188 illegal gambling websites between March 2023 and July 2026. According to police, the organisers contracted with legally operating overseas gaming companies to obtain live casino video feeds and virtual gaming credits. These were passed to software developers who built complete gambling platforms and sold them to downstream operators.
The developers recruited programmers who had previously worked for major technology firms and created a system capable of launching a fully functional gambling website in as little as 10 minutes, police say. The network allegedly charged operators monthly maintenance fees of between KRW1,5m and KRW3m per site while a vendor company acted as an intermediary, securing streaming rights and credits from overseas providers and distributing them to the website builders. Investigators estimated the group generated around KRW150bn (US$113m) in illicit profits.
Police arrested 77 people in total: 25 alleged members of the supply network, 33 website operators and 19 gamblers. Twenty-one suspects were detained, including the alleged ringleader, reported to be in their 50s. Authorities have frozen KRW9.6bn (US$7.2m) in suspected criminal proceeds and issued Interpol Red Notices for 12 suspects still overseas.
To avoid detection, members are said to have frequently moved offices between South Korea and Southeast Asia, used overseas servers, Telegram messaging and cryptocurrency, and opened bank accounts under other people’s names. Investigators traced 795 bank accounts and overseas messaging records after an earlier crackdown on a lower-tier operation provided the first leads.
Police say they have shut down 118 websites and blocked a further 408 related addresses through the Korea Communications Standards Commission. Evidence has also been shared with the National Tax Service for possible tax-evasion inquiries.
