Chances are that you have already watched the South Korean thriller series called the Squid Game. Even if you haven’t seen it yet, you have probably heard about it. Surprising as it is but the series that was released just last September is Netflix’s most-watched series to date.
Squid Game also addresses a serious social issue which is gambling addiction and in this piece, we are going to discuss this issue with Martim Nabeiro, an iGaming expert from Portugal.
Gambling Addiction
Even experts are not too sure why some of us have the tendency to develop an addiction while others don’t. People can be addicted to a wide range of things from substances to online games, sex, exercise, and even work. Gambling addiction is often talked about as it has serious negative consequences not only to people’s mental health but their work, studies, finances, and relationships.
The game itself doesn’t even matter; it can be betting like in Squid Game or playing card games, slots, or casinos online legais em Portugal in online casinos that accept Portuguese players. This is why responsible online casinos take gambling addiction seriously. In licensed casinos, you will always be able to set daily, weekly or monthly money and time limits for yourself and once you reach your limit the casino won’t allow you to wager any more money. Most casinos also offer easy self-exclusion for a determined period of time.
Why do We Take Risks?
We, people, are a special species in this regard. If you observe animals, you will find that as long as they have food and they are in relative safety they won’t go anywhere. However, we have roamed all over the world and even visited outer space, often risking our lives. This clearly led us to be the most dominant species in the world and we have invented millions of things to make our lives better. But some people have a greater appetite for risks than others and if they want to satisfy their need in a casino it can be outright destructive.
In Squid Game, named after the popular Korean children’s game, the main character Seong Gi-hun’s life is all about gambling. Even after losing the money, he was going to spend on his daughter’s birthday present and after being beaten up he can’t resist the temptation to play a childish game with a stranger while waiting for the metro. He doesn’t have money to lose anymore so every time he loses the stranger is allowed to slap him in the face. And yet the humiliation is still worth taking for the thrill of gambling for Seong Gi-hun.
A Perfect Depiction of Gambling Behavior
People who have gambling or online games addiction can behave in many different ways. Squid Game depicts the life of a typical gambling addict through the episodes.
- Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) is divorced and rarely sees his daughter – gambling addicts often have relationships problems with their families
- He is indebted – in the movie the main character owes money to banks and lenders and has a hard time making the payments on time
- He cannot be in charge of his money – Gi-hun’s mother handles his salary as he cannot be trusted with it. Often problem gamblers are forced to give control of their finances to family members
- Seong Gi-hun acts aggressively while gambling – he shouts at the person behind him at the bookmaker. Making a gambling decision can be extremely exhausting and scary
- He steals his mothers ATM card – often problem gamblers have to lie and steal to finance their gambling habits
- He is even willing to risk his life for the chance to win the 45.6 billion South Korean won prize – while gamblers don’t risk their lives in the casinos, they may spend more than they can afford and lose their car, house, college fund, etc.
Conclusion
You should definitely watch Squid Game if you like thrillers and are open to something different. Gambling addiction is excellently depicted in the series and the sad truth is that it may happen to anyone who loses control of their gambling behavior.
