A gang that operated illegal online gambling sites in Ulsan, Incheon, and other areas, pulling in tens of billions of won in stakes and pocketing billions in profits, has been caught by police.

The Cyber Investigation Unit of the Ulsan Provincial Police Agency announced today (August 24) that it has transferred 12 out of 17 key members of the gambling site gang, including a domestic mastermind in his 20s, to prosecutors under detention on charges of opening gambling spaces and violating the National Sports Promotion Act.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the remaining five members located in Thailand, including the overseas mastermind, and Red Notices have been requested through Interpol.

Police found that all members of the gang are in their 20s and 30s.

According to police, from November 2022 to July 2025, the group operated gambling sites offering illegal sports betting, casinos, and slot games, handling a total of approximately 60 billion won in gambling funds and pocketing 3 billion won of it.

They lured members by broadcasting live streams on YouTube that staged high win rates to make it look like people were making money.

To ensure their promotional videos appeared at the top of YouTube screens, they used a self-developed traffic manipulation program, even operating a dedicated team to inflate view counts and real-time viewer numbers.

The gang continued their crimes for 32 months by dividing roles into running the gambling site, managing members, handling customer service, promoting, recruiting members, and withdrawing and laundering funds.

They evaded police tracking by using officetels in areas such as Ulsan and Incheon as offices and moving their operation locations periodically.


After obtaining related intelligence in March of last year, police tracked down their office locations and seized evidence including burner phones, burner bank accounts, and PCs used in the crimes.

Following a year and six months of investigation, police identified all key members, including the mastermind, and arrested them sequentially.

Police have taken pre-indictment attachment measures for the approximately 3 billion won in criminal proceeds calculated for each suspect.

A police official stated, "We will apprehend the suspects who fled overseas to the end through international cooperation," adding, "We will expand our investigation into the operation networks providing gambling sites to adult PC rooms and respond strictly."
 
(Photo provided by Ulsan Provincial Police Agency, Yonhap News)