Casino partially liable for gamblers loss

By Lee Hyo-sik

An appeals court ruled Friday that Kangwon Land, Korea’s only casino open to local citizens, must make partial restitution to the bereaved family of a habitual gambler, who took his own life after losing more than 8 billion won gambling there.

The Seoul High Court said Kangwon Land should return 1.32 billion won to the family, finding the casino operator partially responsible for the gambler’s losses of 8.08 billion won and subsequent suicide.

From April through July in 2003, he lost a total of 4.58 billion won at the casino. His wife then filed a complaint with Kangwon Land, asking for a ban on her husband’s access to slot machines and other gambling games.

But the wife was forced by the husband to ask the casino to allow him back in.

He then lost a further 3.5 billion won through April 2007. Seven months later, he filed a lawsuit against Kangwon Land, seeking a return of the 8.08 billion won.

But in September 2008, he took his own life out of despair over losing such as huge amount of money.

“Kangwon Land should pay the bereaved family 1.32 billion won of the 3.5 billion he lost after being allowed back into the casino, because it did not fulfill its responsibility to its customers,” the court said.

It said even though his family asked for the lifting of the entry ban, Kangwon Land should have not let him back in without a certificate from a gambling addiction counseling center that proved he was not an addict.

However, the court said, in the end, it is up to an individual to decide whether to gamble or not.

“Individuals should take responsibility for their own actions. Given this, we hold Kangwon Land responsible only for a percentage of the 3.5 billion won he lost after the lifting of the entry ban,” it said.

A lower court had previously ruled that the casino should pay the family 100 million won.