September proved to be a profitable month for South Korea’s foreigner-only casino industry, with all three licensed operators reporting year-on-year increases in gaming revenue. Lotte Tour Development Co Ltd, operator of the Jeju Dream Tower on Jeju Island, delivered the most substantial jump. The company’s filings show casino sales soared 86.3 percent compared to the same month in 2024, reaching nearly KRW52.95 billion (US$37.7 million). Performance also improved 23.2 percent from August.

Paradise Co Extends Growth Streak

Table games accounted for most of this growth. Revenue climbed to KRW51.11 billion, marking an 88.2 percent increase year-on-year and a 24.2 percent rise compared with the previous month. Machine-game revenue also performed well, climbing 44.7 percent year-on-year to KRW1.83 billion, though figures were flat when compared to August.

For the first nine months of 2025, Jeju Dream Tower generated KRW333.93 billion in casino sales, up 51.3 percent from the previous year. In late August, the property also overtook Paradise City as the country’s top-earning casino catering exclusively to foreign players.

Paradise Co Ltd also recorded gains, continuing a streak of five consecutive months of year-on-year increases. September casino sales reached KRW64.03 billion, 4.3 percent higher than the same period in 2024. Sequentially, however, revenue dropped 20.4 percent from August.

Breaking the results down further, table-game revenue stood at KRW59.01 billion, up 3.4 percent year-on-year but down 22.4 percent month-on-month. As reported by GGRAsia, machine games delivered stronger growth, climbing 16.5 percent to KRW5.01 billion, and improving 12.8 percent compared to August.

Over the first three quarters of 2025, Paradise Co’s casino sales totaled KRW673.70 billion, a 9.5 percent rise from the prior-year period. The company operates foreigner-only casinos in Seoul, Busan, Jeju, and Incheon, where it manages Paradise City in partnership with Sega Sammy Holdings. Recently, Paradise Co confirmed that one of its subsidiaries would acquire the West Wing of the Grand Hyatt Incheon for KRW210 billion, expanding its footprint near the capital’s airport.

Grand Korea Leisure Maintains Stability

Grand Korea Leisure Co Ltd (GKL), a unit of the Korea Tourism Organization, also posted a small uptick in September revenue. The operator of the Seven Luck casinos reported KRW34.78 billion in casino sales, a 1.4 percent increase compared to September 2024. On a month-to-month basis, results dipped slightly by 0.8 percent.

Table games generated KRW31.36 billion, reflecting a 0.8 percent decrease year-on-year, though sequentially the figure improved by 0.6 percent. Machine-game sales were more robust, jumping 26 percent to KRW3.42 billion, though down 12.4 percent compared with August.

For the January–September period, GKL recorded KRW318.71 billion in revenue, marking a 10.9 percent improvement on the same timeframe in 2024. The company operates three casinos: two in Seoul, including one in Gangnam, and another in Busan.

The September gains come as South Korea prepares to welcome more tourists from mainland China under a newly launched visa-free scheme. Starting September 29, groups of three or more Chinese nationals traveling with authorized agencies may enter the country for up to 15 days without a visa. The policy is expected to run until June 2026 and aligns with China’s National Day “Golden Week” holiday, one of the busiest periods for outbound travel.

Tourism authorities expect the initiative to significantly lift arrivals, noting that Jeju Dream Tower already sees roughly 80 percent of its foreign visitors come from China. To capture demand, the property has introduced incentives such as 10 percent discounts and additional perks for dining and shopping.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 2.54 million Chinese tourists visited South Korea in the first half of 2025, which is already 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The new policy is anticipated to drive this figure higher, supporting continued growth for the foreigner-only casino sector.