Kangwon Land eases capacity restrictions

Kangwon Land has been authorised to increase its capacity from 1,800 to 2,300 customers.

South Korea.- The South Korean casino Kangwon Land has announced that it has been authorised to ease its capacity restrictions to allow 2,300 customers at any one time, up from 1,800. From November 8 the number will be increased further to 3,000, 50 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels, depending on the evolution of Covid-19 cases.

Authorities allowed the casino to resume operations from November 1. Entry is permitted only to those who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and can show a vaccine pass or to customers who can show a negative Covid-19 test issued within 48 hours before their visit. 

Due to the lack of tourists as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lee Sang-heon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea on the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, has suggested casinos should be allowed to introduce online gambling services.

According to the Korea Casino Association, South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos recorded aggregate gambling sales of KRW178.29bn (US$151.3m) in the first half of the year. In 2020, the figure was KRW597.8bn, down 60 per cent year-on-year when compared to 2019 when the industry collected a total of KRW1.45tn.