Zona de Azar Malta – Irresponsible Gambling: Squid Game edition (Opinion Column by Uplatform)

Malta.- 21th October 2021  www.zonadeazar.com If you haven’t been living on a remote desert island all alone, you’re already aware that Netflix’s Squid Game is a smash hit. The Korean drama/horror series is centered on battle royale gambling games played out through children’s playground games like Marbles, Red Light, Green Light, and Tug of War, but with a lot more on the line than losing money. The Squid Game characters; desperate and deeply indebted, compete in a violent and often horrific contest for a massive cash reward. Only one person can win the reward, and those who lose the series of games must pay the ultimate price with their lives.

The series drew a lot of attention from audiences and quickly became Netflix’s biggest series launch ever. We’re not going to laud the series for its outstanding visuals, deep symbolism, or shocking scenes; instead, we’ll view it as an anti-guide to responsible gambling.

Willingness to risk

In Squid game, different types of gambling addiction are depicted. There are the stereotypical addicted personalities like the main character – Seong Gi-hun – a divorced man whose life’s ruined because of his gambling addiction. Or Jang Deok-su, a gangster who is struggling with massive gambling debts. They both are desperate and financially in turmoil, leading them to accept the biggest bet of their life – playing life or death children’s games for money.

However, not all gamblers are the same, and neither are their issues. The Front Man and the wealthy VIPs, for example, have gambling addictions. It’s not due to similar difficulties that the players experience; their addictions are fueled by the fact that no sporting event or casino can satisfy their gambling appetites anymore.

Problem gambling affects people of all ages, economic levels, ethnicities, and occupations. Some people acquire gambling problems overnight if they are heavily in debt for reasons outside of gambling, while others develop them slowly over time. Irresponsible gambling can arise for a variety of causes. Some people, for example, have issues when they want to reclaim money they’ve lost, others are dealing with a lot of stress in their lives, and others may have underlying mental problems, so gambling is a form of distraction.

It’s not only about losing money when someone has a gambling problem. Gambling addiction may have a long-term impact on a person’s life. Gambling is an engaging and entertaining pastime, but when irresponsible activity motivates you to jeopardize your own life to make money, Squid game is a nightmarish portrayal of problem gambling at its most extreme.

Gambling addiction awareness

Thankfully, there is no life or death Red Light, Green Light, but the message from the series sheds light on the consequences of bad decisions due to gambling.

With sporting events canceled and casinos forced to close their doors, operators sort new directions for their operations. Following the rise of high-speed internet and widespread usage of mobile phones as entertainment, the addition of an online casino platform and modern themed slot games, along with alternative sports incorporated into their sportsbooks, allowed them to maintain their business operations. As a result, the industry saw a significant shift to online casino gaming and sportsbook betting on esports; furthermore, the amount of time players spent betting online also increased, resulting in sometimes significant losses and the development of obsessive behaviors.

This type of continued conduct can lead to gambling problems. Problem gambling is a serious issue, and the industry has a responsibility to provide initiatives and support for iGaming as a whole to ensure that gambling does not cause harm. The main objective is to make sure that players can enjoy sports betting and casino gaming websites responsibly as a form of enjoyment and entertainment and not as a means to solve the problems they have in their lives.

Supporting responsible gaming

Uplatform is dedicated to responsible gambling and provides up-to-date information on the dangers of problem gambling and its prevention, along with gambling education support. Our sportsbook and online casino software products incorporate responsible industry-standard gambling guidelines and practices. We strive to make sure that all of our partners implement these guidelines and support the practice of ethical and accountable promotional and marketing processes, prohibit underage betting, prevent privacy breaches and online threats, and secure and safeguard data and online payments, as well as identifying and addressing the amount of money and time players spend gambling online.

There are many ways to ensure that operations and players are safe and protected. Learn more about our products and solutions that safeguard against everything from online fraud to gambling addiction by contacting our team today.

Edited by: @MaiaDigital www.zonadeazar.com