Police trace alleged $43 million online gambling network from YouTube streams to Thailand

South Korean police have referred 12 suspects to prosecutors over an alleged illegal gambling operation that handled around KRW60 billion ($43.4 million) in stakes, while five additional members believed to be in Thailand have been placed on Interpol Red Notice lists.

South Korea’s Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency has dismantled the domestic side of an alleged online gambling network that used manipulated YouTube livestreams to recruit customers. Police said on August 24 that 12 of 17 identified members, including the suspected domestic ringleader in his 20s, had been detained and referred to prosecutors.

The suspects are accused of operating illegal sports betting, casino-style and slot-game platforms between November 2022 and July 2025. Investigators estimate that approximately KRW60 billion ($43.36 million) in wagers passed through the operation during that period, while the group allegedly generated more than KRW3 billion in criminal proceeds.

A central part of the recruitment strategy was YouTube. According to police, the network broadcast livestreams designed to create the impression that players were achieving unusually high win rates and receiving large payouts. Investigators say the group also developed its own traffic-manipulation software and maintained a dedicated promotional team to inflate views and real-time audience numbers, helping its videos appear more prominently in YouTube search and recommendation results.

Police say the organisation operated through a clear division of responsibilities covering website management, customer support, promotion, member recruitment, withdrawals and money laundering. Offices were reportedly established in locations including Ulsan and Incheon and moved periodically in an effort to avoid detection.

The investigation began after police received intelligence about the operation in March 2025. Officers subsequently identified office locations and seized evidence including mobile phones registered under borrowed identities, bank accounts used by third parties and computers. After an investigation lasting about 18 months, police said they had identified the principal members of the organisation and arrested the domestic suspects in stages.

The case now extends beyond South Korea. Police have obtained arrest warrants for the remaining five suspects, including an alleged overseas ringleader, who are believed to be in Thailand. Interpol Red Notices have been issued as authorities seek their detention through international cooperation.

Authorities have also secured a pre-indictment preservation order covering roughly KRW3 billion in alleged criminal proceeds. Ulsan police said the investigation will continue into overseas suspects and organisations supplying gambling platforms to adult PC rooms.

The case highlights an increasingly sophisticated model of illegal gambling promotion in which social-media visibility, artificial traffic and cross-border organisation are combined with traditional payment and laundering structures. For enforcement agencies, disrupting such networks increasingly requires action not only against the gambling platforms themselves, but also against their promotional infrastructure, financial channels and overseas organisers.