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The gambling operation did not rely only on sports bets, casino games and online slots. Police say it also built its own system for making the business look far more popular — and potentially more profitable for players — than it really was.
Seventeen people in their 20s and 30s have been identified in an investigation into an illegal online gambling network that allegedly processed more than 60 billion won, or about US$43.36 million, in wagers over nearly three years. Twelve have now been referred to prosecutors, while five others believed to be in Thailand are being sought internationally.
Ulsan police say the group operated from November 2022 until July 2025, using bases in several parts of South Korea, including Incheon, west of Seoul, and Ulsan in the southeast. Investigators estimate the suspects accumulated more than 3 billion won in illicit proceeds from sports betting, online casino games and slot platforms.
YouTube Streams Used to Draw in Gamblers
What distinguished the alleged operation was the machinery built around attracting gamblers.
Investigators found that YouTube livestreams were used to create the impression that players were winning frequently and receiving unusually large payouts. The broadcasts were not simply advertisements for the gambling sites. Police believe they were part of a broader effort to manufacture enthusiasm around them and draw viewers into betting.
The group allegedly developed its own traffic-manipulation software and organized a promotion team dedicated to boosting the reach of those broadcasts. Artificially inflated views and live audience numbers were then used in an effort to move promotional content higher in YouTube searches and recommendation feeds.
That strategy gave the alleged gambling business another layer beyond the sites themselves: an engineered appearance of popularity on a mainstream video platform.
Tip-Off Led Police to Operating Bases
The investigation began with a tip received in March last year. Police subsequently traced locations linked to the operation and seized computers, burner phones and bank accounts opened under other names, evidence that investigators used to reconstruct how the network operated.
Finding the people behind it took considerably longer.
Over roughly 18 months, investigators identified and arrested 12 suspects one after another. Those cases have now been sent to prosecutors.
Five Suspects Believed to Be in Thailand
Five others remain beyond the immediate reach of South Korean authorities. Police believe they are staying in Thailand and have secured an arrest warrant while requesting Interpol Red Notices for them, allowing law-enforcement agencies internationally to locate the fugitives pending further legal action.
The overseas search is now the unfinished part of the case. Ulsan police intend to continue pursuing the five through cooperation with foreign authorities rather than treating their departure from South Korea as the end of the investigation.
Source: en.yna.co.kr
