Kang Byung-kyu was a professional baseball player who changed career paths to become a television show host. Kang also decided last year to place several illegal bets on an Internet gambling site. Now Kang along with three other pro baseball players has been indicted on suspicion of illegally gambling on a gambling website.

It was reported by the Seoul Central Prosecutors office that Kang bet $1.9 million on the site between the months of May and October of last year and lost half of that amount. Kang admitted to prosecutors that he had begun gambling on the site after receiving text message advertisements on his mobile.

This was a change in Kang’s statement as Kang had previously stated that he did not know how to play the ‘go-stop’ game that is popular in Korea and similar to poker. Kang is one of 130 people that are suspected of gambling on the internet site.

Four people were arrested last month for creating the gambling site in the Philippines and broadcasting games live via the internet. Many more indictments are expected in this case.


- 2008-12-26