Korean Job Discussion Forums

[seoulsucker]

Just spent an overnight at the Gangwon Land Resort, which houses the only casino in South Korea that allows natives to gamble.

It would have been a great time, if I would have actually been allowed to sit down and play. At 9:30 AM there was a queue of about 3-400 people waiting in the lobby for the doors to open. Thankfully, they use a numbered system for entrance, or I'm sure there would be daily stampedes.

Once I got in (non-Koreans don't have to pay the 5,000원 cover ^^) I found it difficult to even find a slot machine that wasn't "reserved" by someone else.

People would leave 1,000원 notes shoved in the coin slots to mark them as "theirs" while they played around, went to the bathroom, outside to smoke, etc. Players would leave their coats and few chips on the tables to mark the seats as "theirs" while they went off to eat, smoke, etc.

Tables were all overcrowded by standing players, pushing and bumping to play their chips on someone else's game...and this was at 9:30 AM on a Wednesday morning.

I haven't spent a considerable amount of time in casinos other than the monsters in Vegas and a few others in Seoul, so my question is........is the "reserved" behavior present in other countries/cities/casinos?

Or is it simply that in a country of 50,000,000 people the one open casino is bound to be overcrowded and as such has developed a unique "culture" to accomodate all the hungry players?

Any insight from experienced gamblers/travelers would be great.

On a side note, thank GOD they don't allow smoking or drinking at the tables. Wise business decision by the casinos, as most men I know here go from Zero - Plastered in less than 90 minutes and would be forced to leave the tables. Keep 'em sober and in their seats.

It's completely opposite from the mentality in Vegas (get 'em loosened up and a bit bold).

Anyway...just thought I'd share this with y'all.