South Korea's three licensed casinos exclusive to foreigners reported a year-over-year increase in gambling revenue for September, with the operator of Jeju Dream Tower, Lotte Tour Development Co., Ltd., standing out with a sales surge of 86.3%. Paradise Co and Grand Korea Leisure also recorded growth, continuing the recovery momentum of the South Korean foreigner-exclusive casino market. This growth coincides with China's newly introduced group visa exemption policy, which allows groups of three or more Chinese citizens to enter South Korea without a visa, expected to continue until June 2026, further boosting tourism and gambling consumption.
Overall Market Performance and Growth Trends
The casino industry in South Korea, limited to foreigners, achieved overall growth in September, with all three licensed operators reporting year-over-year increases in gambling revenue. This performance continues the recovery trend of South Korea's high-end gambling market, showing the continued recovery of foreign tourist spending power.
Jeju Dream Tower, Paradise Co, and Grand Korea Leisure, as the main operators of casinos exclusive to foreigners in South Korea, collectively drove industry growth. The market performance is closely related to the recovery of the Korean tourism industry and the return of Chinese tourists.
Performance of Jeju Dream Tower
The operator of Jeju Dream Tower, Lotte Tour Development Co., Ltd., achieved the most significant growth, with casino sales reaching 52.95 billion Korean won (approximately 37.7 million US dollars) in September, a year-over-year increase of 86.3%. Compared to August, performance also grew by 23.2%, showing a continuous growth momentum.
Table games became the main growth driver, with revenue climbing to 51.11 billion won, a year-over-year increase of 88.2%, and a month-over-month increase of 24.2%. Machine game revenue grew by 44.7% year-over-year, reaching 1.83 billion won, remaining flat compared to August.
Growth Situation of Paradise Co
Paradise Co continued its growth momentum, with casino sales reaching 64.03 billion won in September, a year-over-year increase of 4.3%. This marks the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year growth for the company, although month-over-month revenue fell by 20.4% compared to August.
Table game revenue was 59.01 billion won, up 3.4% year-over-year, but down 22.4% month-over-month. Machine game revenue performed even stronger, up 16.5% year-over-year, reaching 5.01 billion won, and up 12.8% month-over-month.
Stable Growth of Grand Korea Leisure
Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), under the Korea Tourism Organization, saw a slight increase in revenue in September, with casino sales amounting to 34.78 billion won, a year-over-year increase of 1.4%. Month-over-month, performance was slightly down by 0.8%, showing relative stability.
Table game revenue was 31.36 billion won, down 0.8% year-over-year, but up 0.6% month-over-month. Machine game revenue performed strongly, up 26% year-over-year, reaching 3.42 billion won, but down 12.4% month-over-month.
Annual Cumulative Performance Analysis
By the end of September 2025, Jeju Dream Tower's casino sales reached 333.93 billion won, up 51.3% year-over-year. By the end of August, the hotel surpassed Paradise City to become the highest-revenue foreigner-exclusive casino in South Korea.
Paradise Co's casino sales totaled 673.7 billion won for the first three quarters, up 9.5% year-over-year. GKL's revenue for the same period was 318.71 billion won, up 10.9% from 2024, showing the overall market's continued recovery.
Impact of the Chinese Market and Visa Exemption Policy
The growth in September coincided with South Korea's new visa exemption policy for Chinese tourists. Starting September 29, groups of three or more Chinese citizens, approved by authorized agencies, can enter South Korea without a visa, with a maximum stay of 15 days.
The policy is expected to last until June 2026, covering peak outbound travel periods such as China's "Golden Week" national holiday. The tourism sector expects this measure to significantly increase the number of visitors, further supporting the growth of the casino industry.
Visitor Structure and Market Strategy
About 80% of foreign visitors to Jeju Dream Tower come from China, prompting operators to introduce targeted promotional measures. The casino offers a 10% discount on dining and shopping, along with additional benefits, to attract and retain Chinese customers.
Data from the Korea Tourism Organization shows that in the first half of 2025, Chinese visitors to South Korea reached 2.54 million, recovering to 90% of pre-pandemic levels. The new visa exemption policy is expected to further boost this figure.
Corporate Expansion and Investment Dynamics
Paradise Co recently confirmed that its subsidiary will acquire the west wing of the Incheon Grand Hyatt Hotel for 210 billion won, expanding its business footprint near the capital's airport. The company operates casinos exclusive to foreigners in Seoul, Busan, Jeju Island, and Incheon.
Paradise Co manages Paradise City in collaboration with Japan's Sega Sammy Holdings, showcasing an international cooperative business model. The expansion plans reflect optimistic expectations for the prospects of South Korea's high-end gambling market.
Industry Outlook and Market Expectations
The industry for casinos exclusive to foreigners in South Korea is expected to continue benefiting from the return of Chinese tourists and support from the visa exemption policy. Market position changes for operators like Jeju Dream Tower indicate an adjusting competitive landscape in the industry.
The different growth patterns of table games and machine games reflect changes in customer preferences and market demand. Operators need to continuously adjust their product and service mix to adapt to the evolving market environment.
