Since Korea's first local casino was introduced in 2000, popularity has boomed in the area. In fact, thousands of visitors come to Kangwon Land each day. It is a trend that catches on the more people come to the casinos. When one comes once they come time and again.
Some fear that because of this that gambling addiction are on the rise. Some feel that addiction can lead to suicide, and they prove their point based on one story of a woman, who committed suicide on Christmas. It was Christmas day when a 54-year-old woman died after jumping from the fourth floor of the hotel cafeteria in Kangwon Land.
This gambling-related suicide is one of many some say that is happening in Korea. Earlier this month, a 51-year-old man committed suicide at the same casino. His suicide note stated that he had taken his life as he had lost all of his money to gambling. It is estimated that 17 gamblers have committed suicide since the 2000 casino opening.
Kangwon Land has tried to control gambling addiction. The have done this by saying that regular casino visitors can not visit the casino more than 20 times a month, and VIPs no more than 25 times a month. The problem here is that many addicts have ignored these rules, and nothing is being done to stop it. So far, Koreans are trying to fix the problem in other ways. The have recently erected a center by the casino in order to prevent gambling addiction. So when all else fails maybe one can hope that this last option will succeed. |
