This is Why Gambling is Illegal in South Korea

Why are South Koreans banned from gambling even when they are tourists in places like Las Vegas? There's only one casino in their own country where they're allowed to gamble. It's not only legally banned, but a huge cultural taboo to play games for money. Studies cite a high rate of gaming addiction. However, what's often missed from the analysis is the source of funds. Oftentimes, the problem cases involve not just the gambler’s money. It's other people's money. Family money. Company money. Cultural norms allow managers, CEOs, family members, and anyone who has nominal power to access family or company funds too easily. Therefore, it makes sense to reduce the risk of losing large sums of capital in the hands of the greedy and irresponsible. Yet, it still happens too often as we've seen time and again.

Recently we've seen the head of YG Entertainment found guilty of a gambling scandal. And just last month, the Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-Myung had to apologize for his son's illegal gambling controversy.