Poker Writer
A Korean illegal gambling empire was shut down after it was discovered that two Korean men were using sexually exploitative content to funnel users to gambling websites. The two suspects ran some of the largest sexual content websites in Korea. The authorities charged the developers with violations against the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses.
The two suspects, aged 40 and 36, ran the gambling websites through the Philippines, while the sexual websites were based in Korea. So-called Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs) were a major force before the government eliminated them at the end of 2024.
Police are also investigating more than 10 alleged accomplices, including a 54-year-old ringleader and a 53-year-old Filipino manager. One of the suspects has a PhD in computer science. Authorities arrested the suspect, who lives in the Philippines, on an aircraft at Incheon airport as he attempted to enter South Korea.
In accordance with Korean law, the names of the suspects remain redacted, despite several details emerging about their lives and whereabouts.
In total, the organization managed two illegal pornography sites, 18 gambling sites and 587 gambling distributors.
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Through the sexually exploitative websites, the gambling websites drew users who ended up wagering more than $3 billion. As many as 2.85 million individuals went to the websites, which had more than 110,000 illegal videos.
The landing page for one of the websites combines sexual content with gambling, as it has AI images of several scantily clad women. The websites originally drew the ire of women’s rights groups, who brought them to the attention of authorities for potentially illegal sexual content, dangerous to minors.
After that, authorities unearthed the gambling connections. These websites are known for advertising gambling sites. This setup took the connection a step further, as the same owners ran both sites. In this case, the pornography was merely a hook to recruit members to illegal gambling websites where the real money was made.
The group is suspected of running a gambling solution site called “AGA Global.” The operation raked in more than $33 million in illicit profits. It remained operational from August 2019 until the shutdown this week.
