TLDR South Korean police broke up an illegal online gambling network that allegedly took $17.2 billion in wagers across 188 casino websites. Former corporate software developers allegedly built a program that could create a working casino site in about 10 minutes. Police apprehended 77 people and detained 21 of them following an investigation that began in November 2025. Investigators traced 795 bank accounts and froze about $7.2 million in suspected criminal proceeds. Police are seeking Interpol red notices for 12 suspects believed to have fled overseas.
South Korean police have broken up an illegal online gambling network that allegedly handled $17.2 billion in wagers. The operation ran 188 casino websites over more than three years.
The Chungnam Provincial Police Agency announced the case on Monday, October 19. Officers apprehended 77 people, and 21 of them have been detained.
The suspects allegedly built and ran the sites between March 2023 and July 2026. They worked from offices in South Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Casino Websites Built in 10 Minutes
Police said the network hired software developers who once worked for major South Korean companies. These developers created an in-house program that could produce a working casino website in about 10 minutes.
The group signed deals with legitimate overseas gaming companies. It used those deals to get casino video feeds and virtual gaming credits.
The developers then packaged the feeds and credits into ready-made online casinos. They supplied these sites to smaller operators for a monthly maintenance fee of 3 million won, or about $2,250, per site.
The operators found customers through owners of adult-only internet cafés across South Korea. They made money by selling gambling credits to players.
Police estimate that gamblers bet 23 trillion won, about $17.2 billion, across the sites. This figure is the total amount