Is Squid Game a Metaphor for Online Gambling?

Netflix’s latest Korean drama series, Squid Game, is a dark and gripping tale of greed and the consequences it has on those around you. Many see it as a metaphor for online gambling. Whilst it may not involve any actual online sports betting sites, gambling games or casino gambling of any kind it does feature some kick ass games where people put everything on the line for money.

What is Squid Game?

Squid Game is a South Korean Online Gambling TV series. It was directed by Hwang Dong-Hyuk and it had its first broadcast in October 2015. The show tells the story of two friends that through wildly different circumstances find themselves involve in a bloody series of children’s games.

Hundreds of cash-strapped Koreans accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes. A survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake.$47,897,145.60. Trust me, this is nothing like gambling in Canada!

All of the Korean players (465 of them to be exact) are deeply in debt. Of course, they are not all in debt due to online gambling websites or sports gambling. Many have addictions to drugs or alcohol, be single parents or otherwise been dealt a poor hand in life. Whatever their story they have for one reason or another been scammed into taking part in a mass game (the Squid Game) in order to win life changing money.

The object of Squid Game is to be successful in completing the games. A series of tasks based more on children’s games than online casino games. The caveat though is that failing to complete a task means certain death. The equivalent of just missing out on progressive jackpots.

Who are the main characters in Squid Game?

The main character, Seong Gi-Hun, is heavily involved in the online gambling world, sports gambling at online sportsbooks and trying to win money at land based casinos and bookies. He is also a divorced father with a daughter he dotes on, but whose mother is about to whisk away to a new life in America.

A chance encounter with another man sees him invited to take part in the Squid Game. Basically, Hunger Games meets Battle Royale.

During the game he meets a childhood friend Cho Sang-Woo. Unlike our hero though Cho Sang-Woo has a dark side to his character. As the game progresses they must work together to make difficult decisions that determine whether or not they will become successful.

The series is a mix of comedy and drama. In addition to these two actors, there are more cast members. The most important of these is an old Korean man O Yeong-Su. His significance is not revealed until the end, where it becomes apparent that this was very much his story.

Then there are the game controllers. Dressed in pink jump suits and wearing masks with Sony Playstation symbols on them, they are the executioners in Squid Game.

A little bit more in the background but integral to the story nonetheless are the VIPs. These are possibly the real players. The Squid Game is essentially a gambling site or an online casino. Is online gambling legal in Korea? We never really find out, but it doesn’t stop these guys from indulging in a bizarre form of sports betting for real money. I doubt that anyone received a welcome bonus or free spins, but they did not seem to care too much about playing online gambling games or using online gambling apps in their quest to win money. In any case there were no Canadian gambling sites involved so no gambling laws were broken!

The relationship between Squid Game and Online Gambling

There is little doubt that Squid Game is a metaphor for online gambling, possibly even for life itself. The 465 competitors all have varying back stories, but essentially are ‘chasing the dream’ of that one big life changing win. Some of us do this by real money online gambling, some of us by online sports betting or other frequenting gambling sites in Canada. Players in the Squid Game do so by risking their life in a real life casino game.

In many ways the shadowy costumed figures that control the game represent the online gambling sites. Just like casino operators that control the casino games and sports betting, the Playstation controllers dictate the ‘online gambling laws’ to which the players must adhere.

The VIP controllers look after the high value sports bettors at the best online gambling sites, but in Squid Game they are concerned with those that pay to watch the carnage.

The players represent you and me, that visit online gambling sites and real money online casinos every day. In Squid Game though, there is no welcome bonuses, no sports betting, no live dealer games and no progressive jackpot slots. There is only death and 46 billion Won.

According to director Hwang Dong-Hyuk. In an interview with the Korea Joong Ang Daily, he stated that the show “represents how people are lured by real money and promises of easy profits from online betting at online betting sites.” He believes that the drama reflects society’s growing interest in online casinos and the desire to to gamble online. Gambling sites in Canada are not directly referenced, so we should assume that online betting and casino games at the world’s best online gambling sites is not what he meant.

Certainly playing at top Canadian gambling sites and avoiding blacklisted gambling sites can help you stay out of trouble.

What can we learn from watching Squid Game?

What makes Squid Game so different from other shows that have dealt with the subject of online gambling sites is its depiction of the characters’ motivations behind their actions.

The characters are not just portrayed as greedy people who take advantage of others; they’re also seen as regular people making difficult decisions under difficult circumstances. This makes the show a lot more relatable and helps to create a sense of empathy for the characters.

Watching Squid Game for the first time you may ask yourself what you would do in similar circumstances. Of course when you gamble online you are not playing to the death, but you are taking a risk when you play at the best gambling sites using real money.

If you are the type of person that does not gamble himself but instead enjoys watching other people play Online Blackjack or Online Roulette at the best online betting sites then possibly nothing. However, we all know that there are Online Gambling opportunities available to us everywhere at the best Canadian gambling sites. So just be careful next time when you are checking out the latest welcome bonuses at our top sites in Canada for online slots and live dealer games.

On the other hand if you are comfortable with Online Gambling and know what what you are doing you will not get yourself into trouble gambling online.

Here at Wager in Canada we recommend only playing at the best gambling sites, and playing casino games for money that you can afford to lose. Gambling in Canada does not need to be like the Squid Game. You will never be asked to wager your life on real money games at online Canadian casinos.

Whatever casino games you enjoy, slot games or live dealer games or even gambling online at sports betting sites or online poker at poker sites, be sure to gamble online responsibly when you play casino games for real money.

Once you have deposited some money into your online casino account you are ready to make a profit from gambling in Canada. Do not however, do so believing that you need to take bigger risks in order to make more money from gambling online.

Instead find and online gambling site that you are happy with. Here at Wager in Canada we will help you find the best gambling sites for real money or a top mobile casino.

Don’t be that online gambling guy who finds himself in debt to a real money gambling site. Always play responsibly at the best online casino sites that are recommended by gambling websites such as Wager in Canada.

Conclusion

Director Hwang Dong-Hyuk has stated in interviews that he believes Squid Game is a metaphor for online gambling operators and their desire to make easy money. Then again the same could be said of you or I that play at the best online casinos.

In Squid Game he wanted to explore the question of what would happen if one of us were to find ourselves in a situation where we couldn’t take it anymore. Whether internet gambling at the best online casinos is the meaning of life itself.

The show is seen as his way of addressing the issue by using casual references to online gambling. It features people who are often looked down on by society, in order to highlight what happens when you become addicted to gambling.

The show does an excellent job of highlighting the dangers of online gambling and how it can quickly spiral out of control. It shows how easy it is for people to get caught up in the excitement of trying to win real money or big prizes and how quickly they can lose everything they’ve worked for. The show also makes a point of showing the negative consequences of gambling addiction, such as ruined relationships and financial ruin.

Squid Game Facts

• Since its release on the streaming service on Sept. 17, “Squid Game” has become Netflix’s most-viewed content with more than 140 million households watching the series.
• Although Director Hwang Dong-Hyuk wrote the script in 2008 it had been turned down by multiple studios before being take up by Netflix.
• The story was based on Hwang Dong-Hyuk’s own life as he had experienced poverty and hardship himself prior to writing this story.
• Originally Squid Game was written to be a movie. However it became impossible to cram all of his ideas into two hours. Netflix instead decided to make a series and in the end, it paid off as Squid Game became a smash hit with 9 episodes ranging from 32 minutes to 63 minutes to tell the whole story.
• Not one Canadian online casino was harmed in the making of Squid Game. If you are looking to gamble online Canada gambling sites are great places to start. Claim up to C$1800 at Casumo.