South Korean casino stocks rise on incoming visa-free travel for Chinese tourists
The policy will begin in the third quarter.
South Korea.- Casino stocks have been on the rise ahead of the introduction of a visa-free entry policy for Chinese group tourists from the third quarter of 2025. The share price of Lotte Tour Development, operator of the foreign-only Jeju Dream Tower, was up 37.4 per cent month-on-month at the weekend, and up more than 50 per cent since January.
Other major players such as Paradise Co. and Grand Korea Leisure have also seen double-digit growth, outperforming the broader KOSPI index. South Korea’s National Pension Service has responded by boosting its stake in Lotte Tour, signalling institutional confidence in the sector’s potential.
The casino industry’s fortunes are closely tied to international traffic, as only one of South Korea’s 19 casinos (Kangwon Land) is accessible to residents. All others depend on foreign gamblers, with Chinese tourists accounting for nearly 28 per cent of all international arrivals as of May.
The visa-free policy comes at a key moment coinciding with peak travel seasons. Korean Air and other carriers have responded by increasing flight routes. Officials are considering extending the visa-free programme beyond 2025 and including individual travellers.
