'Illegal Gambling Live Broadcast'... Police Arrest YouTuber with 230,000 Subscribers and Associates

Illegal Gambling Broadcast 24/7 After Launching YouTube Channel
450 Billion KRW Gambling Funds Collected in Just 8 Months

A group that promoted and operated gambling sites by live streaming illegal gambling through YouTube channels with a total of over 230,000 subscribers was arrested by the police. The amount they received in deposits reached 45 billion KRW over eight months.

Capture of live broadcast of illegal gambling scene. [Image source=Seoul Mapo Police Station]

According to the police on the 18th, the Seoul Mapo Police Station arrested nine suspects in April on charges of establishing gambling spaces, and four of them were detained. The suspects are all known to be seniors and juniors from the same neighborhood.

They are accused of creating 33 YouTube channels such as ‘Baccarat○○TV’ and live streaming scenes of themselves gambling in real time, while inducing illegal gambling site sign-ups through KakaoTalk open chat rooms. The YouTube channels they operated reportedly have about 230,000 subscribers.

The crime was planned under the management of the ringleader, Jeon (male, 27). They formed three teams of two people each; one person live-streamed gambling participation, and the other handled membership registration consultations. From 1 a.m. to 1 p.m., they operated a night shift showing recorded videos and recruited members 24 hours a day.

The amount deposited by members recruited by the suspects into illegal gambling accounts over eight months is known to approach 45 billion KRW. According to the list secured by the police, about 1,500 members have deposited money so far. Jeon received approximately 800 million KRW in cash from the gambling site operators as a reward for recruiting members. Other accomplices were paid monthly allowances ranging from 3 million to 10 million KRW. The suspects were confirmed to have used the proceeds for entertainment, shopping, and gambling.

They concealed their faces with masks and sunglasses during broadcasts, used burner phones and bank accounts, and opened channels by purchasing accounts under other people’s names, thoroughly hiding their identities. To evade investigation, they also moved their offices every 2 to 3 months.

The police began investigating after receiving intelligence in March that an office in the Bupyeong district of Incheon was being used to promote illegal gambling sites via YouTube.

The police took pre-indictment seizure measures on about 100 million KRW, including office lease deposits. They also seized about 63.5 million KRW in cash held by the suspects. The 33 YouTube channels used in the crime were requested to be blocked by the Korea Communications Commission. The remaining accomplices, including gambling site managers, are currently being tracked.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.