Reportedly, Lotte Tour Development Co Ltd, which runs the Jeju Dream Tower resort, recorded the sharpest increase. Its casino sales surged 86.3 percent compared with the same month last year, reaching nearly KRW52.95 billion (€35.7 million). The figure was also up 23.2 percent in August 2025.

Table games contributed most of the rise, generating KRW51.11 billion (€35 million), an 88.2-percent increase from September 2024. Machine-game revenue also grew 44.7 percent year-on-year to KRW1.83 billion (€1.25 million). Over the first nine months of 2025, Lotte Tour’s casino revenue totalled KRW333.93 billion (€228.6 million), a jump of 51.3 percent.

Paradise, Grand Korea Leisure follow trend

Similarly, Paradise Co Ltd, which operates casinos in Incheon, Seoul, Busan, and Jeju, reported more modest growth. September revenue rose 4.3 percent year-on-year to KRW 64.03 billion (€38.9 million), though the figure was down 20.4 percent compared to August. Table games accounted for KRW 59.01 billion (€35.8 million), up 3.4 percent from last year, while machine games rose 16.5 percent. 

It was the company’s fifth consecutive month of annual growth, with total sales for the first three quarters of 2025 standing at KRW 673.70 billion (€409.0 million), 9.5 percent higher than in the same period last year. Paradise also recently announced plans to acquire the West Wing of the Grand Hyatt Incheon hotel for KRW 210 billion (€127.6 million) as it expands near the capital’s airport.

Adding to the trend, Grand Korea Leisure Co Ltd (GKL), a subsidiary of the Korea Tourism Organisation, reported September casino sales of KRW 34.78 billion (€21.1 million). That was up 1.4 percent year-on-year but slightly down compared to August. Its machine-game revenue increased 26 percent year-on-year, offsetting a 0.8 percent decline in table games. For the January–September period, GKL posted KRW 318.71 billion (€193.5 million) in casino revenue, up 10.9 percent from 2024.

Eyes on new visa policy for Chinese 

The positive figures come as South Korea launches a new initiative aimed at attracting more Chinese visitors, historically the largest source of foreign tourists for its casinos. From this week, groups of three or more travellers from mainland China can enter the country without a visa for up to 15 days. The pilot programme will run until June 2026.

The timing coincides with China’s National Day “Golden Week” holiday period, one of the busiest travel seasons, as well as several South Korean holidays. Tourism officials expect the policy to lift visitor numbers significantly, with casinos among the primary beneficiaries. Chinese guests account for around 80 percent of foreign visitors at Jeju Dream Tower. To capitalise on the opportunity, the resort is offering 10 percent discounts alongside dining and shopping perks. 

According to the Korea Tourism Organisation, 2.54 million Chinese tourists visited South Korea in the first half of 2025, about 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels. With the new visa-free entry in place, officials hope to see those numbers rise even further, reinforcing the country’s foreign-only casino industry at a time of renewed competition in Asia.