Busan Police Bust 172 in Massive Illegal Gambling Ring Tied to Deaf Account Network
2026-07-27
Source: Global Gaming Insider
South Korean police arrested 172 people in Busan for operating an illegal gambling ring involving KRW 320bn in two-way betting, uncovering a scheme that used deaf individuals' bank accounts sourced through an interpreter.
Authorities in Busan have dismantled a sprawling illegal gambling operation, arresting 172 individuals in a probe that uncovered a KRW 320bn (approx. USD 240m) two-way betting syndicate. The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed six suspects were taken into custody, while the remaining arrestees face charges including operating unlicensed gambling sites, habitual betting, and breaches of the Electronic Financial Transactions Act.
The investigation initially targeted an illegal gambling ring that ran offshore-hosted websites from an office in Busan's Nam-gu district between January and May 2024. Those sites processed roughly KRW 5.3bn in bets. Two principal operators were detained in this first phase. Expanding the scope to gamblers, police identified 55 individuals and detained three high-stakes habitual bettors, one of whom allegedly placed as much as KRW 320m in wagers.
A critical breakthrough came when investigators noticed that many bank accounts used to receive gambling proceeds were registered to deaf individuals. This led to a separate probe into a structured account-supply network. Police allege a deaf interpreter recruited other deaf people after receiving a proposal from a manager linked to a two-way gambling organization. The interpreter was arrested alongside 92 others connected to the account network, including 87 deaf account holders.
Ultimately, law enforcement identified and arrested 25 members of the two-way betting syndicate, which used borrowed-name accounts to facilitate KRW 320bn in illegal wagering. According to police, the syndicate generated profits by simultaneously placing bets on opposite outcomes across illicit gambling platforms, earning returns from a percentage of points provided by the operators.
Authorities issued a warning that transferring or lending a bank account to another person can constitute a crime under South Korea's Electronic Financial Transactions Act, even if no compensation is received.