Police dismantle igaming network in South Korea
An illegal igaming ring, which had eight gambling sites based in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia, has been shut down by South Korean police.
South Chungcheong Police estimate that the group pocketed at least KRW27.1 billion over five years. They arrested 32 people, including its unidentified mastermind.
Investigators found that the group used the messaging app Telegram to send encrypted messages to recruit potential clients and used female dealers to appeal to male customers.
Police estimate that more than KRW530 billion was spent on the various sites, which even featured live sports streaming for real-time betting. The group modeled itself after corporate practices using promotional images of women on the site, which, when clicked on, would direct users to real-time gambling games.
Along with using Telegram, the group used burner phones to avoid detection. Police opened their investigation in 2023 when they were told that teenagers were being hired to send promotional messages for the various sites.
South Korean police plan to continue their crackdown on illegal online gambling in the country, with a spokesperson telling JoongAng Ilbo, “we will sternly punish both operators and participants of online gambling. For underage involvement, which is harder to detect through enforcement alone, we’ll work with schools and local communities to enhance preventive efforts.”
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Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
