Tens of billions of 'Suspicious Buildings' in the middle of Gangnam...I caught him after hiding. [Y transcript]

■ Host: Anchor Na Kyung-chul and anchor Lee Se-na
■ Starring: Lawyer Son Jeong-hye

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN New Square 2PM] when quoting.

◆ Anchor: A group of people who operated an illegal gambling center in the middle of Gangnam, Seoul, were caught by the police in what appeared to be an ordinary office. It was said that it was decorated like an actual overseas casino facility inside.

◇ Son Jeong-hye: That's right. Not only is it very surprising that this place is in the middle of Gangnam, but it is also surprising that it has directed like a casino overseas in real time when you enter the door. Inside, there was a device to bet gambling in real time through online broadcasts. It is said to be a system that cannot manipulate the winning rate. With that, we recruited a lot of people. Rest areas such as gambling table monitors, and various ways of providing chips and drinks are similar to actual casinos. I can tell you that the employees who work here are not only professional in the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management, but also hired a professional dealer who worked at a real casino, so I can tell you that they have decorated the exterior to operate like a real casino. I also moved very often. It is presumed that he moved frequently because he was afraid of being caught. In the end, he was arrested three times in 14 months.

◆ Anchor: I heard that you moved 3 times and set up several CCTVs inside and outside the gambling center to avoid crackdown, how was it caught?

◇ Son Jeong-hye: Moving to three places means that moving to short-term monthly rent often means that they used a method that was easy to move. So, when you actually open gambling, you have to invest in various facilities, but when you broadcast it online, there was a simple aspect of moving. First of all, there was intelligence. So, they went through an undercover investigation and they said they were able to go in and catch the scene when the delivery man delivered food during the undercover. After the investigation, I checked and found that the stakes alone reached 65 billion won for a year and two months. It is said that up to 500 members were here, and it is not only possible for members to pay for it, but it is not easy for someone to recommend it, so it will be difficult to crack down on it because it is operated under an acquaintance recommendation system. It was a matter of recruiting people like this, and there are many CCTVs around, so it was a matter of thorough preparation to run away when strangers approached.

◆ Anchor: The police sent 13 people with large betting amounts without detention. Will the level of punishment change depending on the amount?

◇ Son Jeong-hye: You can punish them for gambling. In the case of gambling, the larger the amount of stakes and damage, the more aggravating it is, and in particular, it can be evaluated as habitual gambling because it is habitual to bet more money and spend more stakes, so the investigation is focused on these people. The person who can get the most serious sentence is the chief. In the case of the main culprit, he already had a history of violations or gambling, so he met his acquaintances and opened a gambling center to disguise it as if it were a casino. In the case of this casino, the Tourism Promotion Act applies. If you open a casino without permission as a casino, you can be punished very highly with up to seven years in prison. The main culprit is being arrested and investigated.

◆ Anchor: You mentioned that you have a professional dealer with real experience, and there must have been an employee in that space, so what are they going to do?

◇ Son Jeong-hye: The employees and the people who helped here are subject to investigation for aiding and abetting. Those who cooperated with this aid or opening gambling are in fact likely to be punished with a higher sentence than the crime of gambling. 20 professional dealers and employees have now been sent without detention and 13 gambling customers have also been sent because they have received that much profit and helped conceal illegal funds.

◆ Anchor: If there is illegal gambling in the middle of Gangnam, I think it will be spread out everywhere. What is the scale of illegal gambling in Korea now?

◇ Son Jeong-hye: I'm very worried because it's increasing year by year. It is estimated that it was about 75 trillion won around 2012 and over 100 trillion won in 2022. Even if you calculate something that is not estimated, it is a huge scale, I can tell you this. Especially, there is a more worrisome aspect of participating from a teenager. In addition, in the process of converting many people who cannot go to gambling halls due to the prohibition order outside their homes after passing through COVID-19, online is easily accessible and there is less fear of detection. However, strong stimulation and pleasure are almost the same. As a result, many people start without knowing if they are addicted, and then spend all their lyrics and lose all their money, and teenagers can see gambling addiction as a mental illness. Even if you didn't know if it was a gamble at first when you were in a treatment situation, even if it was easy to access, it is a gamble. And it's addictive when you go along and you can't stop it. I think I should think like this.

◆ Anchor: Gambling problem, gambling addiction problem It seems that countries need to actively recognize it as a social problem.

Excerpted from
: Jeong Eui-jin, Editor of the Digital News Team