Famous BJ Arrested for Misusing Internet Platform Broadcast as 'Illegal Gambling Site'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Jeonnam Police announced on the 4th that they have arrested and sent to the prosecution a famous channel operator A (28) for opening a gambling space by abusing the country's largest internet broadcasting platform for gambling purposes.

A is suspected of opening a gambling space by conducting an 'automatic roulette' game on the internet personal broadcasting platform '○○TV' since around December 2020, receiving a certain amount of Star Balloons (worth about 100 won each) from viewers, and providing gold bars or gift certificates to some winning viewers.

According to the police investigation, A stimulated the viewers' gambling tendencies, illegally earning about 17 million won from about 1,000 members, and steadily increased the number of personal broadcast viewers.

Related laws such as the National Sports Promotion Act strictly punish operators (BJs) who open gambling spaces by receiving sponsorship or advertising revenue based on the number of viewers and views of their channels using media platforms.

According to the Integrated Supervision Committee for Gambling Businesses, reports related to gambling through personal broadcasts have more than tripled from 19 cases in 2020 to 71 cases in 2022, showing a trend of increasing operators conducting broadcasts that promote gambling tendencies or provide gambling spaces on the internet.

Also, according to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of teenage gambling addiction patients increased from 39 in 2017 to 127 in 2021.

Illegal broadcasts promoting gambling tendencies are serious crimes that can lead teenagers into gambling addiction, requiring government-wide crackdowns and prevention measures.

Chief Lee Choong-ho said, “We will strengthen crackdowns and monitoring centered on the Cyber Crime Investigation Unit against illegal internet broadcasts and cyber gambling, and actively promote crime prevention through youth crime prevention education and meetings with related organizations.”