Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioSouth Korean police have arrested the operators of a major website that offered betting odds on South Korean and Japanese horse races.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap and the newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that the platform, unnamed for legal reasons, processed bets worth some 170 billion won ($120,635,820) and pirated live streams from the Korea Racing Authority, the Japan Central Racing Association, and the Japan Regional Racing Association.
Officers in Seoul said they made multiple arrests, retaining two individuals in custody, during an international raid on an office in Vietnam.
They believe the website operators are affiliated with a notorious crime network based in Busan. Police said that approximately 17,000 patrons deposited money on the website and other affiliated gambling sites.
A police spokesperson stated that they received a tip-off about the website in June 2024 and launched an operation in March 2025. The spokesperson stated that the website broadcast live horse racing footage from official Korea Racing Authority streams via an overseas intermediary.
South Korean, Japanese Horse Races: Illegal Website Screened Live Racing Action
The site is allegedly online as of December 2022. Officers said all of the arrested individuals are Korean nationals, and added that nine of them have “prior criminal records related to similar offenses.”
Officers explained that the gang was based in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, but set up an office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in September 2023.
This, the gang reportedly claimed, was an attempt to evade possible server crackdowns. The site appears to have primarily targeted South Koreans. But it also offered betting on Japanese races on days when the Korea Racing Authority did not hold races.
The Korea Racing Authority provides live racing footage to broadcasters in 24 countries.
Police said the illegal website imposed no betting limits. Some patrons placed single bets of up to 30 million won ($21,289).
Police Raid ‘Gambling Fund Management Firm’
The site operators, investigators added, found customers by partnering with “well-known horse racing YouTubers.” They also sent text messages with URL links to “random phone numbers” in South Korea, officers added.
Police said that they also raided a suspected gambling fund management organization, making 18 arrests. This organization, investigators said, was linked to the horse racing website. Police have detained four individuals, including the suspected ringleader of the organization, in custody.
Officers added that the raid has also allowed them to refer 140 suspected patrons of the horse racing site to prosecutors on illegal gambling charges.
Their number includes a well-known YouTuber, police say. This individual reportedly spent 214 million won ($151,859) on the site, making around 116 bets.
Police said they have confiscated 540 million won ($383,196) worth of suspected criminal proceeds. They have also applied to the courts, requesting approval to seize an additional 520 million won ($369,000).
The spokesperson warned the public: “All online horse racing sites, except for those operated by the Korea Racing Authority, are illegal. If you use them, you may be prosecuted for gambling. You also run the risk of committing fraud, so please be vigilant.”
