This reminds me of Director Choi, who ran a taekwondo studio in the Bronx, so I thought I'd write a bit about it.

Ten years ago, Director Choi and his friends headed to Mohegan Sun. It was a large resort casino just a short drive from New York. The lights were dazzling, and the interior was well-organized like a hotel and shopping mall. When he first visited, he said it felt like a vacation. He had a meal, played a few rounds on the slot machines, and won a few hundred dollars. This experience was the starting point of his troubles.

After that, casinos became a recurring habit for Director Choi. During the weekdays, he taught kids at the taekwondo studio, and on nights or weekends, he headed to Mohegan Sun. The distance that initially felt far became familiar with frequent visits. Although he lost more often than not, people tend to remember their wins more vividly than their losses. So, thoughts like "This time could be different," "The flow is good today," and "Just one more time" always occupied his mind.

As time passed, the long drive began to feel burdensome. The place he chose next was Empire City Casino. It was close to the Bronx, making it easy to stop by after dinner. He told himself he would only gamble small amounts, but the nearby casino was even more dangerous. He could go anytime, and he could quickly try to recover the money he lost the day before.

Meanwhile, the taekwondo studio began to falter. Classes became irregular, and he frequently changed appointments. Rent fell behind, and credit card debt increased. Despite this, he couldn't stop. He lost at Mohegan Sun and lost even more at Empire City Casino. He kept thinking that one day he would win big and solve all his problems.

The end came at Empire City Casino. It is said that he lost almost all the money he had there. After that, the taekwondo studio closed, and the director disappeared from the neighborhood. The kids moved to other studios, and the vacant space was filled by other businesses. On the surface, life continued as if nothing had happened.

In reality, for people living in New York, distant casinos are risky, but nearby casinos can be even more deadly.

Director Choi was not a bad person. He just held onto the illusion that he could win for too long and missed the last opportunity to quit. I believe such situations are likely still happening somewhere today.

They say they plan to build Las Vegas-style casinos in downtown New York... It just makes me sigh. I might have to move to another state; it's hard to live around so many gambling addicts.