A crime ring operating an illegal horse racing betting website using stolen live race footage from the Korea Racing Authority (KRA) was dismantled by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The group, which managed gambling funds worth approximately 170 billion won ($121.4 million) from December 2022 to November 2024, streamed real-time KRA races by paying an illegal video vendor in China for the footage. To evade law enforcement, the operators relocated from Ilsan, South Korea, to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and recruited gamblers via referrals from horse racing YouTubers and random text advertisements. The ring also collaborated with a gang-run network to handle financial transactions, paying commissions on deposits and withdrawals.
Authorities arrested 29 individuals, including site operators and 140 members who placed large bets exceeding 5 million won each, with some users facing gambling charges. Investigations revealed the group frequently used burner phones and front accounts to avoid detection. Police have frozen 540 million won in criminal proceeds and warned that all online horse racing sites outside the official KRA service are illegal, with users subject to prosecution. The investigation began in June last year following intelligence shared with the KRA.
