South Korea’s 2025 casino industry GGR up 14.6pct y-o-y at US$2.52bln

South Korea’s Casino Revenue Surges Past Pre-Pandemic Levels

South Korea’s casino industry posted aggregate gross gaming revenue (GGR) of circa KRW3.70 trillion (US$2.52 billion) in full-year 2025, up 14.6 percent from KRW3.23 trillion in 2024, according to data from the country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The 2025 tally was also 26.1 percent higher than the KRW2.93 trillion recorded in 2019, the last full trading year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The figure covers the country’s 18 casinos, including foreigner-only venues and Kangwon Land, the country’s only casino open to locals.

The ministry’s revenue data are net of bad debt, complimentary allowances and commissions, and may therefore differ from figures reported by publicly-listed venue operators.

Foreigner-Only Venues and Jeju Drive Double-Digit Growth

Total visitor volume to South Korea’s casinos rose by 12.3 percent year-on-year in 2025, to just over 5.97 million, from under 5.32 million in 2024. That was equal to 97.5 percent of the 6.13 million visits recorded in 2019.

Foreigner-only casinos generated KRW2.26 trillion in 2025 gaming revenue, up about 21.6 percent from a year earlier of KRW1.86 trillion, while visits to those venues increased 18.7 percent to nearly 3.49 million from the previous year’s 2.94 million.

Kangwon Land recorded gaming revenue of approximately KRW1.43 trillion, a 4.9-percent increase from KRW1.36 trillion in 2024.

The eight foreigner-only casinos on South Korea’s holiday island Jeju generated combined gaming revenue of KRW646.58 billion in 2025, up 40.9 percent from KRW458.91 billion a year earlier. Aggregate visits to those venues rose 37.8 percent year-on-year, to 913,890 from 662,976.

According to a related release from Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, visitors in their 20s and 30s accounted for 51.3 percent of total Jeju-casino patronage in 2025, up 3.4 percentage points from 47.9 percent in 2024.

Kangwon Land and Inspire Resort Strengthen Domestic Market Performance

Jeju Dream Tower, operated by Lotte Tour Development Co Ltd, accounted for 80.5 percent of the island’s 2025 gaming revenue, with KRW520.65 billion, up 62.5 percent year-on-year, from KRW320.32 billion, per the government data.

Lotte Tour’s own data reported to the Korea Exchange had said 2025 casino sales rose as the volume of visitors to its gaming facilities grew 54.1 percent year-on-year.

Privately-held Inspire Entertainment Resort, at Incheon on the Korean mainland, posted gaming revenue of KRW286.01 billion, versus KRW173.32 billion in 2024, per ministry data.

The casino at Inspire only opened in February 2024, meaning direct year-on-year comparisons between its 2025 and 2024 results are not possible.