South Korea

An Overview of the South Korean Casinos

There was a time when Las Vegas was the only destination for gamblers to try their luck and win some quick money. Over the years, newer destinations have emerged to help gamblers explore opportunities elsewhere. Asian countries such as South Korea are now presenting better opportunities for people who want to bet and gamble. Although there are only a few South Korean casinos at the moment, the country is rapidly undertaking steps to boost this burgeoning industry and open more casinos to attract more tourists.

The South Korean government prohibited casinos for several years before finally giving its approval. Owing to the anti-gambling sentiments, casinos are open for only foreign nationals. As a result, the country has not managed to scale up the industry to replicate the successful model implemented by other Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Until recently, the public sentiment about gambling was predominantly negative. A widespread campaign was started in 2006 to prevent large scale gambling industry from emerging in the country. Despite this, a 2007 report highlighted that tourism had doubled after the casino industry gained grounds.

Today, South Korea is home to some very popular casinos and gambling joints such as Cheju City, Busan, Paradise Grand, Shilla Cheju Casino and Incheon: Paradise Olympos, Samseong: Seven Luck, Kyongju: Wellich Choson Hotel, Jeongseongun: Kangwon Land Resort and Casino, Seogwipo City: Hyatt Regency Cheju, Seoul: Paradise Walker-Hill, Lotte Hotel and Casino and Sockch’o City: Sorak Park Hotel and Casino. Interestingly, most of these casinos are located on Cheju while the rest are situated in other larger cities.

A nation like South Korea where state censorship impacts the day to day lives of people, gambling is still considered a taboo. As a result, it may not be able to match the other Asian countries that are more open to this phenomenon. Yet, it is expected that soon the government will relax laws and boost this industry.

 
Casino in South Korea - Seven Luck