Dozen arrested in South Korea in $43m illegal gambling ring

• Ulsan police executed an operation against illegal gambling after more than a year of investigative actions
• A total of 12 suspects were detained, five are at large and authorities are seeking their arrest
• The illegal gambling ring processed $43m in wagers, syndicate members earned $2.2m

A group that earned millions of dollars from operating illegal gambling websites and luring gamblers with fictitious wins was taken down by law enforcement in South Korea.

While a dozen suspects have been arrested, several remain at large.

Five suspects remain at large

As announced by the local media outlet, The Korea Times, 12 people were recently arrested and have been referred to prosecution for their alleged involvement in illegal gambling.

Details regarding the criminal case emerged from the Ulsan police on Monday, uncovering that the illegal gambling syndicate was taken down following an investigation after a tip.

Police were first tipped off in March 2025 and initiated an investigation, collecting evidence, and identifying suspects.

More than a year later, the criminal group was taken down and dozen of suspects were arrested.

Five people, also suspected of being involved in the illegal gambling operation, are believed to have fled abroad to Thailand.

While they remain at large, law enforcement secured Red Notice from Interpol for their arrest.

A representative of law enforcement addressed the recent criminal case, reaffirming that police are prepared to track down and arrest any suspect involved in unlawful activities.

Importantly, the police official said law enforcement is prepared to cooperate with international agencies to bring such suspects to justice.

Streams with fake viewers and fictitious win rates lured gamblers

What’s known so far is that the illegal gambling syndicate operated between November 2022 and July 2025.

The criminal croup covered their tracks by using pre-paid phones and mule bank accounts.

All suspects are in their 20s and 30s, police said.

Concerningly, the criminal syndicate recorded more than 60bn won ($43.4m) in wagers.

Of that total, the criminal syndicate earned approximately 3bn won, or $2.2m.

Offering illegal online casino, sports betting and slots, the criminal group lured gamblers with promises of big prizes and fictitious win rates.

Members of the group streamed online gambling activities using a platform that presented false win rates and fake prizes.

At the same time, the illegal gambling syndicate used software that manipulates the real-time viewers of the streams in order to create buzz and make more gamblers use their websites.

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