South Korea’s Kangwon Land pushes back launch of second casino

Summary

Kangwon Land, the only locals casino operator in South Korea, has delayed the opening of its second gaming floor from 2027 to early 2028. The expansion is part of a wider KRW2.5 trillion project that includes a luxury hotel, upgrades to the existing resort and new non-gaming attractions such as walking trails, a luxury pool and a wellness centre that opened in January. Future phases include a sky bridge to link the casino with the nearby High1 Ski and Golf Resort.

The new gaming floor will add 50 tables (bringing the resort total to 250) and 250 gaming machines (total 1,610). Kangwon Land plans to shift from a casino-centric revenue mix — currently almost 90% gaming — towards an integrated-resort model targeting about 70% gaming revenue, while expanding total casino floor area by roughly 40%.

Source

Source: https://igamingbusiness.com/casino/south-korea-kangwon-land-pushes-back-second-casino/

Key Points

• Opening of the second gaming floor pushed back from 2027 to early 2028.
• New floor: 50 tables (250 across resort) and 250 gaming machines (1,610 total).
• Expansion is part of a KRW2.5 trillion investment including a luxury hotel and resort upgrades.
• Non-gaming amenities added: walking trails, luxury pool, wellness centre; future sky bridge to High1 Ski and Golf Resort.
• Kangwon Land aims to move from a casino operator to an integrated-resort operator, reducing gaming’s share of revenue from ~90% to ~70%.
• Casino area to expand from 14,512 sqm to 20,260 sqm (≈40% increase); foreigners-only betting limits to rise from KRW300,000 to KRW300 million (1,000% increase).
• The resort’s remote location (150 km from Seoul, 883 metres above sea level) is a challenge compared with rivals near Incheon, which serve foreigners only but benefit from proximity to the capital and airport.

Why should I read this?

If you follow Asian gaming or resort development, this is a neat update — Kangwon Land’s delay and shift to an integrated-resort model matter for regional competition and investment flows. We’ve skimmed the details for you: timeline change, scale of investment, and how the operator is trying to rebalance away from pure gaming income.

Author

By Marjorie Preston — Quick, punchy analysis: Kangwon Land is betting on non-gaming drawcards to turn a remote casino into a full resort experience, but timing and location remain key risks.