Philippine-based gambling network taken down by police

A criminal ring that ran an online gambling site valued at more than 5 trillion won from the Philippines has been arrested. The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency’s criminal task force said Nov. 6 that it apprehended 14 suspects, including a ringleader in his 40s, on charges of forming a criminal organization and operating illegal gambling. Seven of the suspects have been formally detained.

According to police, the group ran the online gambling site for seven months, from September last year to March this year, by connecting live video feeds of casino games from well-known overseas gaming companies to the website they developed. Total transactions are estimated at 5.3 trillion won.

Investigators found that the ringleader planned the operation while serving a prison sentence in 2020. After his release, he recruited developers and organized the group, creating 266 gambling websites from November 2021 to March this year and assigning lower-level managers to oversee them. He collected 3 million won per month in management fees.

To maximize profits, the group established a vendor company based in the Philippines in September last year. These companies act as distribution platforms, receiving live casino footage and in-game credits directly from gaming providers.

Police said they tracked the ring after obtaining a lead from a suspect previously arrested for running an illegal gambling site. Officers seized 480 million won in hidden cash and froze 3.34 billion won in criminal proceeds before the indictment. Two members who fled overseas were placed on Interpol’s red notice list after arrest warrants were issued.


In-Mo Lee imlee@donga.com