Korea Foreigner-Only Casinos Post Strong Early 2026 Growth
South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos started the year with strong momentum, supported by a sharp rise in visitors from China and Japan. The country’s three main casino operators Paradise Co., Ltd., Lotte Tour Development and Grand Korea Leisure reported combined net sales of KRW334.1 billion for January and February. This represents a 27% increase compared with the same period last year.
During the same period, the total “drop” amount money exchanged by players for gaming chips surpassed KRW2.19 trillion, marking an increase of more than 10% year-on-year.
Strong Performance Across Major Operators
Among the operators, Paradise Co., Ltd. recorded the highest revenue. The company generated KRW181.2 billion in net sales during the two-month period, rising 26.1% from KRW143.7 billion a year earlier. The company’s drop also increased by 5.7%, reaching KRW1.1682 trillion.
Lotte Tour Development posted the fastest growth rate. Its casino net sales jumped 50.4% year-on-year to KRW78.2 billion, compared with KRW52 billion in the previous year. The drop at its casino climbed 43.3%, reaching KRW434.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Grand Korea Leisure reported KRW74.7 billion in net sales, an increase of 11.8% from KRW66.8 billion the year before. The operator’s drop rose 12.1% to KRW591.7 billion.
Tourism Recovery Fuels Casino Growth
Industry observers attribute the growth largely to the recovery in inbound tourism. Data from the Korea Tourism Organization shows that foreign visitor arrivals in January reached 1,265,658, a 13.3% increase compared with the previous year and 114.6% of January 2019 levels before the pandemic.
Chinese visitors led the arrivals with 418,703, followed by 225,351 travelers from Japan. Both markets have surpassed their pre-pandemic benchmarks, reaching 106.6% and 109.1% of 2019 figures respectively.
The impact has been particularly visible on Jeju Island, where relaxed visa policies for group travelers and additional direct flights from major Chinese cities have driven tourism growth. At the Jeju Dream Tower operated by Lotte Tour, the casino welcomed 96,966 visitors during January and February an increase of 40.6% compared with the same period last year.
Growing Importance of Mass-Market Players
South Korea’s casinos have traditionally relied heavily on VIP gamblers, but operators are now seeing a larger contribution from general tourists. Rising visitor numbers to the country are translating into more casual casino visits from international travelers.
To adapt to this shift, operators are expanding facilities aimed at mass-market players. Paradise Co., Ltd. recently acquired the Grand Hyatt Incheon located near its Paradise City complex on Yeongjong Island. The additional hotel capacity is intended to accommodate more general visitors while reserving premium accommodations for high-value VIP guests.
Positive Outlook for the Sector
Analysts expect favorable conditions to continue throughout the year. Factors such as a weaker Korean won and travel restrictions in Japan are helping sustain international tourism flows into the country.
With visitor numbers continuing to rise, analysts anticipate stronger financial results starting in the second quarter. The surge in Chinese and Japanese arrivals is already driving higher gaming activity across major casino destinations including Seoul, Busan and Jeju.
For operators such as Paradise, Lotte Tour Development and Grand Korea Leisure, the combination of recovering tourism and expanding mass-market participation could support sustained growth for South Korea’s casino industry in the coming months.
