South Korea’s casinos report strong september growth

Lotte Tour, Paradise, and Grand Korea Leisure posted year-on-year increases in revenue.

South Korea.- The three foreigner-only casino operators in South Korea reported solid year-on-year revenue growth in September 2025, according to company filings. The positive results come as the country introduces a new visa-free entry scheme aimed at attracting more Chinese visitors.

Lotte Tour Development Co, operator of the Jeju Dream Tower resort, posted the strongest gains. Its September casino sales reached KRW52.95bn (US$37.7m), an 86.3 per cent increase compared with the same month in 2024 and a 23.2 per cent rise from August. Table games accounted for KRW51.11bn (US$36.3m), up 88.2 per cent year-on-year, while machine-game revenue grew 44.7 per cent to KRW1.83bn (US$1.3m). For the first nine months of 2025, Lotte Tour’s casino revenue totalled KRW333.9bn (US$237m), a 51.3 per cent annual increase.

Paradise Co Ltd, which operates casinos in Incheon, Seoul, Busan, and Jeju, recorded KRW64.03bn (US$45m) in September casino sales, up 4.3 per cent year-on-year but down 20.4 per cent month-on-month. Table games generated KRW59.01bn (US$42m), while machine-game sales rose 16.5 per cent to KRW5.01bn (US$3.5m). It was the company’s fifth consecutive month of annual growth. Total sales for the January–September period reached KRW673.70bn (US$479m), 9.5 per cent higher than a year earlier. Paradise has announced plans to acquire the West Wing of the Grand Hyatt Incheon hotel for KRW210bn (US$149m) as part of its expansion strategy.

Grand Korea Leisure Co (GKL), a subsidiary of the Korea Tourism Organization, reported KRW34.78bn (US$26m) in September casino sales, up 1.4 per cent year-on-year but down slightly compared to August. Machine-game revenue rose 26 per cent, while table-game sales dipped 0.8 per cent. For the first nine months of 2025, GKL’s casino sales totalled KRW318.7bn (US$22.6m), a 10.9 per cent increase on the prior-year period. The company operates three Seven Luck-branded casinos in Seoul and Busan.

The revenue growth come ahead of South Korea’s rollout of a pilot visa-free entry programme for Chinese tourists, historically the largest customer base for the country’s foreign-only casinos. From October 2025 to June 2026, groups of three or more travellers from mainland China can enter South Korea without a visa for up to 15 days. The initiative, launched ahead of China’s Golden Week holiday, is intended to boost inbound tourism.

According to the Korea Tourism Organisation, 2.54 million Chinese tourists visited South Korea in the first half of 2025, about 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. With the new policy, officials anticipate a further recovery in visitor numbers, with casinos positioned as key beneficiaries.

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Lotte Tour, Paradise, and Grand Korea Leisure posted year-on-year increases in revenue. South Korea.- The three foreigner-only casino operators in South Korea reported solid year-on-year revenue growth in September 2025,…