Illegal Gambling Den Disguised as PC Bang... Multiple Suspects Arrested

A Total of 41 Arrested... Three Key Figures Detained

The ringleader and operators who ran illegal gambling establishments using internet gambling sites were arrested in large numbers by the police.

Photos of the exterior and interior of the building where the gambling site is located. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit announced on the 20th that they had apprehended 37 people, including the ringleader Mr. A (51), on charges of opening gambling venues. Among them, Mr. A, who operated 10 illegal gambling establishments in the Gyeonggi area, was detained.

According to the police, this group is suspected of operating 21 illegal gambling establishments in Gyeonggi Province and the Chungbuk area from November 2023 to last November, and of handling gambling funds worth approximately 4.2 billion KRW. They registered the gambling venues as PC rooms with the local district office and decorated the exterior of the buildings to look like PC rooms. Then, they deleted gambling game blocking programs installed on the computers and operated illegal gambling establishments targeting customers using internet gambling sites.

Additionally, the police arrested four people, including the domestic ringleader Mr. B (32), who managed an illegal gambling store in an officetel located in Asan City, Chungnam Province, on the same charges, detaining two of them. They are suspected of managing the internet gambling site and providing deposit and withdrawal services 24 hours a day in three shifts from May to November last year, earning unfair profits of approximately 3.5 billion KRW in site usage fees from the stores they managed.

Flowchart of PC Bang Gambling Linked to Internet Gambling Sites. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

The police received intelligence around July last year that illegal gambling establishments using internet gambling sites were operating in PC rooms and began an investigation. A police official stated, "PC rooms are businesses that can be operated simply by registering with the relevant administrative agency, and anyone, including youths, can easily access them," adding, "Currently, the relevant administrative agencies only prepare status reports twice a year, and there are no effective management measures, so it is necessary to establish a rapid response system among related organizations."