Even after large-scale illegal online casino organizations impersonating Kangwon Land were dismantled by police, illegal gambling advertisements continue to proliferate through closed social media services (SNS) like Telegram, prompting calls for an urgent strengthening of response systems.
According to Kangwon Land and the National Assembly on the 29th, a recently discovered Telegram promotional channel has been using Kangwon Land’s name and logo without authorization to continuously post ads for illegal online casinos and high-stakes betting using virtual assets.
It is reported that the chat room has approximately 5,000 participants. Notably, advertisements offering quick loans with phrases like "Anyone born in 2009 or earlier approved" have appeared, raising concerns about potential illegal predatory lending targeting minors.
While Kangwon Land has strengthened monitoring of impersonation sites and ads this year, leading to a significant increase in reported cases compared to last year, it appears that closed platforms like Telegram remain outside their surveillance reach.
With Kangwon Land’s illegal impersonation monitoring team consisting of only three people, experts point out the limitations in tracking illegal gambling organizations that frequently change platforms.
The issue of illegal casinos impersonating Kangwon Land has been recurring since last year.
In 2025, a site was discovered that stole Kangwon Land’s name and logo to pose as an official online casino. In August of this year, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency apprehended 58 members of an illegal online casino organization impersonating Kangwon Land, arresting five of them.
Investigations revealed that the organization used overseas servers to recruit approximately 40,000 members and processed 78 billion KRW in gambling funds. It was also discovered that they used deepfake videos synthesizing the faces and voices of famous sports stars for promotion.
The problem is that even after large-scale police crackdowns, illegal advertisements do not disappear but instead migrate to new platforms like Telegram.
Because illegal gambling organizations evade crackdowns by changing internet addresses or opening new chat rooms whenever a site is blocked, analysts suggest that the current response centered on "detection, blocking, and reporting" is insufficient.
In particular, using the name and logo of a public enterprise like Kangwon Land makes it highly likely that users will mistake them for legitimate sites. When combined with illegal loan advertisements, the risk of harm to youth and low-income individuals is significant.
Consequently, there are calls for expanding Kangwon Land's internal monitoring staff and budget, building AI-based detection systems, strengthening surveillance of closed SNS platforms like Telegram, and establishing a real-time information-sharing system between the police, the National Gambling Control Commission, financial authorities, and the Korea Communications Standards Commission.
An official from the Korea Casino Tourism Association stated, "Illegal organizations are evolving by changing platforms and promotional methods every time they are cracked down on. We need a response that goes beyond just blocking sites to simultaneously tracking and cutting off their advertising networks and funding sources."
