The Casino Culture Through the Lens of Korean Films and Series

Casino culture has truly grown to be an acceptable form of entertainment among many. What once started in underground taverns almost secretly is now a full-blown industry, with over 9000 casinos worldwide, some fancy, classy and worth millions. With these developments, gambling laws throughout different countries have also evolved to accommodate casino activities in a regulated and legal way. 

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Interestingly, that is not the case in Korea because, to this day, it has some of the strictest gambling laws in the world. Can you imagine, as of 2024, there were only 17 casinos in the whole of South Korea, but 16 were for foreigners only? Only one is legally open to the citizens: the Kangwon Land. 

The laws also don't allow local online gambling sites, but a lot of people visit overseas online casinos that aren't under Korean rules and play anonymously. Even amid such conservativeness, many Korean films and dramas actually include casino settings in their stories. But what exactly do they depict through that lens? Let's find out.

A symbol of fast money but with underlying risks

Casino life is shown as a bold, glamorous shortcut to wealth in many Korean films and series. You'll often see characters walk into flashy casinos with fancy lighting, high-end suits, luxurious watches-you name it. It usually looks like that is where one can flip their luck and magically say bye-bye to their money problems. But as the stories unfold, you quickly realize that such fast money almost always comes at a price.

"Tazza: The High Rollers" in the Tazza series is a good example. Goni starts with just a casual game, but before long, he's already deep into gambling. Though he experiences some wins, he also faces betrayal, loss and danger. Even in more recent shows like "Big Bet", Cha Moo-sik surely looks like he has made it in life with his casino empire in the Philippines. But eventually, the bad and the ugly catch up with him, and he is caught between rival gangs and corrupt leaders, ending up in a huge downfall.

These films show that casino life can be a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing because, inasmuch as it may look like success and freedom on the surface, there are risks underneath that can easily take you down. One might get consumed in chasing a big, fast win, and end up in a serious mess that's hard to get out of.

Unfortunately, this isn't far from reality. In fact, as of 2020, research published in the Asian Journal of Gambling Issues and Public Health highlighted that countries with strict gambling laws, like Korea, still face a rise in gambling-related harm, especially from offshore online platforms. 

Most of these sites aren't actually regulated in Korea, so many Koreans just use them anonymously, meaning if any start struggling with gambling, support might be limited. Actually, the Korea Center on Gambling Problems reported that it has been getting more and more calls for help, particularly from younger people.

A playground with several grey areas

While casinos are often shown as entertainment spaces for the rich, Korean films also portray them as places where the lines between right and wrong start to blur. We see actors and actresses walking in, thinking it's just about the game, but soon enough, they are making choices they never thought they would. Rules are bent, and wrong things are done for 'the right reasons' all because people are willing to do whatever it takes to stay at the top.

In some films, we also see several crime meetings and manipulation strategies being cooked up in the casinos. Think of "Tazza: The Hidden Card and "Tazza: One Eyed Jack" in the Tazza series. Everyone seems to have a hidden agenda, and trust is such a foreign concept. What looks like simple casino games turns out to be a whole underground system where winning isn't just about luck or skill. You actually need to outsmart people who are either always two steps ahead or willing to stab you in the back.

And maybe that's the whole point of the films. Beyond gambling shenanigans, they also show society how power, desperation, and survival can push people to unimaginable territories. With a slight change in motive, something meant to be a form of entertainment can transform into a brooding place for terrible things.

A mirror to society

Every film tells a story, and most times, it hits home if it reflects deeper truths about what is actually happening in society. Korean films often use casino settings to show people that, other than gambling being a game of chance, it is also a tool that some people are using to try to succeed. They expose the desperate ambition and moral compromises people make chasing that 'success'.

The casino setups also mirror a world where the odds are against the ordinary person. We see many characters like Goni, from humble backgrounds, who enter gambling to try to rewrite their stories. That in itself is a gamble with their lives, driven by the pressures of life, maybe because of a failed system or injustice. 

Their efforts to escape the poverty frying pan land them into the fire of rigged games or dangerous underground networks, indirectly pointing us to systems that allow such things to flourish.

Korean films use casino stories not just for the sake of it but to reflect real-life struggles tied to gambling. This might be Korea's way of discouraging its citizens from the casino culture by showing how messy it can get.