Content Writer: Janice Chew • Saturday, 25/10/2025 - 15:19:42 - PM
In September 2025, South Korea’s three foreigner-only casino operators—Lotte Tour Development, Paradise Co, and Grand Korea Leisure (GKL)—delivered solid year-on-year growth in gaming revenue, signaling renewed momentum in the market. Lotte Tour posted the most dramatic surge, while Paradise and GKL posted more moderate gains.
Lotte Tour, which operates the Jeju Dream Tower resort, reported casino sales of KRW 52.95 billion in September, an 86.3 % rise compared to the same month last year. Its table-game revenue alone was KRW 51.11 billion, up 88.2 % year-on-year, while machine-game sales rose 44.7 % to KRW 1.83 billion. Sequentially, total casino sales also increased 23.2 % from August.
Paradise Co, which has operations in Incheon, Seoul, Busan, and Jeju, recorded KRW 64.03 billion in casino sales, a 4.3 % increase year-on-year, despite a 20.4 % sequential decline from August. Table gaming accounted for KRW 59.01 billion, up 3.4 % year-on-year, while machine games grew 16.5 % to KRW 5.01 billion. For the first nine months of 2025, Paradise’s cumulative casino revenues reached KRW 673.70 billion, up 9.5 % over 2024.
GKL, which runs the “Seven Luck” casinos in Seoul and Busan, posted more modest gains. Its September casino sales were KRW 34.78 billion, up 1.4 % year-on-year, though slightly down (–0.8 %) from August. Its machine-game revenues stood out, rising 26 % year-on-year to KRW 3.42 billion, while table games dipped 0.8 % year-on-year (but rose slightly month-on-month). Over January–September, GKL’s total casino revenues came in at KRW 318.71 billion, up 10.9 % year-on-year.
These robust results arrive at a time when South Korea is seeking to boost inbound tourism, especially from China. In late September 2025, a pilot visa-free entry program was rolled out, allowing groups of three or more Chinese travellers to enter the country without visas for up to 15 days. The timing is strategic—the policy runs through mid-2026, encompassing Chinese “Golden Week” holidays, and is expected to drive further growth in casino visitation and gaming revenues.