A group of people who operated an illegal gambling house under the guise of a so-called ‘Hold’em pub’ where you can play card games while drinking were caught by the police.
In particular, it was revealed that they acquired criminal proceeds worth 47.9 billion won by operating a hold’em pub worth 100 billion won for three years and expanding their influence in a corporate form.
The Busan Police Agency’s criminal task force announced on the 20th that it had arrested and sent 7 people, including Chief A (53), on charges of organizing a criminal group and opening a gambling place, and sent 118 operators and 590 gamblers without detention.
Mr. A and others are suspected of operating a gambling house worth 100 billion won by opening 15 franchise-type hold’em pubs in the Busan, Gyeongnam, and Jeju regions from March 8, 2021 to April 8, 2024.
▲ Hold’em Pub criminal group organization chart. ⓒBusan Police Agency
According to the police, they recruited gamblers through social media or open chat rooms.
Since then, they have avoided crackdowns by investigative agencies by disguising game chips as point transactions using an app and illegally exchanging cash through money changers placed at each branch.
It was revealed that the game was promoted in the form of a low-cost tournament priced at 30,000 won, 60,000 won, and 90,000 won, and that gambling addicts were fostered by giving winners from affiliated stores the right to participate in monthly competitions.
The police conducted a simultaneous search and seizure of four affiliated stores, including the main branch of Hold’em Pub, and a company that manages the app server, secured evidence, and charged them with violating the Tourism Promotion Act (prohibiting the operation of similar casinos), which carries stronger punishment than general gambling offenses. was applied and Mr. A and others were sent to the prosecution.
Jeong Tae-woo, head of the 3rd team of the Busan Police Agency’s criminal task force, said, “Circumstances were confirmed that Mr. A and others were trying to set up an overseas gambling venue in Clark, Philippines, but we were able to block their overseas expansion early through a quick investigation.” He added, “We also tracked the proceeds of crime and recovered 7.2 billion won worth of proceeds.” He explained, “Confiscation and collection were preserved before prosecution.”
▲ Hold’em pub search and seizure. ⓒBusan Police Agency
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1. Could you please provide an overview of the illegal gambling situation in South Korea, particularly in Busan and surrounding areas? Have the police noticed an increase in these types of activities in recent years?
2. How did the suspects manage to operate their illegal gambling business undetected for such a long period, and what methods did they use to attract and maintain their clientele?
3. The police seized substantial amounts of money and assets from the suspects. Can you tell us more about their plans for laundering the profits and expanding their operations overseas?
4. What penalties do the suspects face under Korean law for operating an illegal gambling establishment? Do you think these penalties are sufficient to deter others from engaging in similar activities?
5. How does the involvement of social media and online chat rooms affect the policing of illegal gambling operations? Do the police have any strategies to address the use of these platforms in criminal activities?
6. The police were able to recover a significant portion of the seized assets. Can you discuss the challenges they faced during the investigation and how they were able to maintain evidence integrity?
7. Are there any initiatives or plans in the works to address gambling addiction among South Korean citizens? What role do you see the government playing in this issue?
8. how important is it for the public and law enforcement to work together to prevent and combat illegal gambling activities? What can ordinary citizens do to support these efforts?
