South Korea Breaks Up Illegal Gambling Ring That Handled $3.3bn in Bets

South Korean police have dismantled an international online gambling operation that they say drove traffic to its betting sites through pornography websites, including material sexually exploiting minors.

The Korean National Police Agency, working with Europol and the US Department of Homeland Security, arrested a Korean man at Incheon International Airport on August 2 as he returned from the Philippines, and a second man at his Seoul home on August 3. The two, aged 36 and 40, are accused of running the network alongside two Filipino nationals aged 53 and 54, with the enterprise operated out of Pasay City in the Philippines. Two accomplices remain at large.

Investigators opened the case after complaints about pornography sites that were also heavily advertising illegal online casinos. According to the Korea National Office of Investigation, the sites carried pop-up advertisements and sidebar links pushing visitors to gambling platforms linked to the same group. Two of the sites held more than 116,000 videos, 2.85 million registered accounts and over 5.35 billion cumulative views, and funnelled users to at least 18 gambling websites.

The betting operation handled 4.7 trillion won (about $3.32 billion) in wagers, generating roughly $33.6 million in gross proceeds for the operators.

"The Korean National Police Agency has collected and analyzed information related to the distribution of sexual exploitation materials domestically and internationally," the agency said. "The agency is currently conducting investigations by tracking clues, identifying suspects, and collecting evidence."

Interpol has issued Red Notices for the Filipino suspects and 10 others believed to be involved. A Red Notice is a request for police worldwide to locate and arrest a person rather than an international arrest warrant, so enforcement depends on the country where a suspect is found. Those convicted could face decades in prison.