South Korean police have dismantled an alleged illegal gambling syndicate accused of processing around KRW60bn in wagers by using fabricated YouTube livestreams and manipulated viewing statistics to recruit new players.
The Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit announced it had arrested and referred 12 suspects for prosecution on charges including operating an illegal gambling business and violating the National Sports Promotion Act. Authorities have also obtained arrest warrants for five additional suspects, including the alleged overseas ringleader believed to be in Thailand and have requested Interpol Red Notices.
According to investigators, the organization operated illegal sports betting, casino and slot gaming websites between November 2022 and July 2025, generating approximately KRW3bn in illicit profits.
Police said the group relied heavily on YouTube to attract customers. Livestreams were allegedly staged to show gamblers winning large sums at unusually high success rates, creating the impression that players could easily make money on the platform.
To amplify the scheme's reach, the suspects allegedly developed software to artificially inflate video views and live audience numbers, helping their broadcasts rank higher in YouTube search results and recommendation feeds.
Investigators said the operation was highly structured, with members assigned to specific functions including platform management, customer service, marketing, player recruitment, payment processing and money laundering. Some employees reportedly worked around the clock in shifts to manage player deposits and withdrawals.
To avoid detection, the group allegedly operated from rented office units in Ulsan and Incheon, periodically relocating their offices as the investigation progressed.
Police launched the investigation in March 2025 after receiving intelligence about the operation. Raids on the group's offices led to the seizure of burner phones, computers and mule bank accounts allegedly used to facilitate the gambling business.
Authorities have also secured approximately KRW3bn in assets believed to be linked to the operation, including real estate, vehicles and bank deposits, while expanding the investigation to identify overseas suspects, gambling site suppliers and distributors connected to adult PC cafés.
Police have frozen approximately KRW3bn in suspected criminal assets, including real estate, vehicles and bank deposits
