The regulator of casinos that operate on the semi-autonomous island of Jeju (pictured), in South Korea, has confirmed to GGRAsia some details of Covid-19 response guidelines the holiday destination has issued to its gaming operators.
The manual was released in July after guidance from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The document outlines things Jeju gaming businesses should do at various stages of alert, in case of Covid-19 infections in the community, the Casino Policy Division of the Jeju government noted to GGRAsia.
According to the manual, the Jeju authorities have no mandate regarding how the local casino operators enforce spacing of gaming tables and people using them. But the local authorities do have a duty to monitor the quality of ventilation in the island’s gaming venues, as they are all “enclosed” spaces, the Jeju gaming regulator noted to us.
The manual also details the scenarios that could lead to a compulsory closure of the gaming venues. The local disease control authorities have the power to issue a closure order, or to lift one.
Were any casino employee or patron to be identified as having been in contact with a confirmed Covid-19 infection case, this could trigger a closure of the gaming venue. According to the manual that is in line with South Korea’s national protocols under what is known as the Enforcement Decree of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.
If an employee or gaming customer at a Jeju casino is suspected by the health authorities of having been infected with the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, he or she will be told to undergo testing for it. A positive result would lead to a partial or full closure of the gaming venue, depending on the size of the venue, the manual noted.
Jeju island hosts the largest-single cluster of foreigner-only casinos in South Korea, according to information from the Korea Casino Association. Jeju currently has eight such venues. The South Korean mainland has eight foreigner-only casinos, plus Kangwon Land, the only property to cater for those who possess only a South Korean passport.
Jeju’s casinos are mostly small in scale and located inside hotels. An exception is the resort and entertainment complex Jeju Shinhwa World, which is promoted and operated by Hong Kong-listed Landing International Development Ltd.
