South Korean Police Arrest 37 in Raid on Gambling Hub Disguised as a Furniture Store

South Korean police have raided a furniture store that they think was used as a front for an online gambling network worth 109.9 billion won ($79 million).

The broadcaster SBS reported that 37 officers were arrested in the raid on the store in the capital, Seoul, and other addresses.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Mobile Criminal Investigation Unit released footage of the raid to the press.

The video shows that a curtain at the rear of the store appears to conceal a hidden office-like space fitted with computer hardware.

South Korean Gambling Crackdown: Police Conduct Multiple Raids

Officers believe a man in his sixties, unnamed for legal reasons, masterminded the operation.

Law enforcement alleges that he ran a network of illegal adult-only PC bang gaming centers that offered gambling services for a select group of customers.

Investigators think the network was operational from October 2023 until February 2025, when police made their move.

A police spokesperson said that officers seized or froze 1.12 billion won ($805,000) in cash and cash deposits following raids on multiple addresses.

Officers claim that the alleged mastermind operated a gambling-themed website, which they only allowed operators of several “adult PC bangs” to access.

Police say the mastermind charged the PC bang owners a fee to access the site and lent some of the owners money to continue their operations.

Police said they had evidence that the mastermind also encouraged the PC bang owners to continue offering their clients access to the site, even after the police launched their operation.

Gang Used Fake Bankbooks – Police

The criminal investigation team released audio of a suspect saying: “It doesn’t matter if the owners feel discouraged. That’s fine. We have encouraged them to continue operating because they will have to pay back the money [they owe us] anyway.”

Investigators added that the arrestees used aliases and phone numbers registered in the names of foreign nationals to hide the tracks of their crimes.

Police outlined that the group also used fake bank accounts, bogus bankbooks, and virtual accounts to commit crimes.

The arrestees include a suspected gambling site operator and the head of an electronic payment provider, police said.

Investigators are also searching for a technical operator and an individual suspected of selling virtual accounts.

Earlier this month, the South Korean National Police Agency announced the launch of a third annual countrywide crackdown on hold ‘em pubs.

South Korean hold ‘em pubs are gambling “experience” venues that let patrons play gambling games for fake money.

Most forms of gambling are illegal in South Korea. However, the agency thinks that many of these pubs secretly house illegal casinos and offer real-money betting games.

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 South Korean police have raided a furniture store that they think was used as a front for an online gambling network worth 109.9 billion won ($79 million). The broadcaster SBS reported that 37 officers were arrested in the raid on the store in the capital, Seoul, and other addresses. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Mobile
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