Four years ago, Kim Jong-gu went to the South Korean mountain town of Sabuk to find out why his 30-something daughter kept asking him for money.
"When I found her at the casino, she was laden with debt from loan sharks," Kim said, recalling his visit to Kangwon Land, the only casino of 17 in the nation open to Koreans.
Soon Kim himself became hooked on gambling, racking up losses of some 180 million won (about $155,000). Realizing he no longer had a home to return to, he decided — at the age of 77 — to accept government subsidies provided to those who promise to kick the habit. He is now living in a apartment in the town costing $200 a month.