Among locals responding to a survey held on Jeju, a South Korean holiday island (pictured) with foreigner-only casinos, many believed the presence of those venues had brought crime, and around half thought extra oversight was needed on that industry by the local government.
The survey drew 1,000 Jeju respondents, and was conducted between October 5 and November 18, last year, according to information from the local authorities.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has had since 2009, certain regulatory powers for its casinos. The island currently possesses eight licensed venues.
A majority of survey respondents, i.e., 51.4 percent, preferred the option of “more supervision” over casinos, compared to 27.3 percent that said they would be satisified with more “support” for them, from the local authorities. A further 21.3 percent said they had no opinion to share, regarding that topic.
The survey also showed that 36.2 percent of respondents considered Jeju casinos had contributed to some increase in the island’s crime rate. A total of 13.7 percent of respondents “strongly agreed” with that particular statement in the survey.
According to a December 3 press release from the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, in the month of November – a period coinciding with the survey data collection – there had been five criminal cases allegedly tied to the premises of Jeju casinos. As a result, 18 suspects were detained, and 10 of them were held in custody.
In terms of the impact of the island’s casino sector on the local economy, of those answering the survey, 44.3 percent of respondents agreed that the casinos had contributed to an increase in inbound foreign travellers; 37.0 percent gave a “neutral” response, and 18.7 percent said they “disagreed” with that proposition.
A survey statement asking whether the island’s casino industry had led to visitors spending more overall when coming to Jeju, saw 48.0 percent agree; 33.1 percent express a neutral view; and 18.9 percent disagree.
Among respondents, 39.2 percent considered the island’s casino industry did provide jobs for locals, 39.8 percent had no opinion, and 21.0 percent disagreed with that proposition.
