Several operators of foreigner-only casinos in South Korea have confirmed to GGRAsia that they are either opening or reactivating marketing offices in Japan, traditionally an important target market for South Korean gaming firms.
They are Lotte Tour Development Co Ltd, operator of Jeju Dream Tower casino resort on the semi-autonomous holiday island of Jeju, and Grand Korea Leisure Co Ltd (GKL), which runs three venues on the country’s peninsula.
A Lotte Tour representative stated to GGRAsia the firm had opened an Osaka “liaison office”. The Japanese metropolis, which will itself host a casino resort, MGM Osaka, due to open in 2030, is under two hours flying time to Jeju. The Lotte Tour rep said there is currently one daily direct flight in each direction between Osaka and Jeju.
“We will also open a Tokyo liaison office in June or July, coinciding with the launch of a direct flight between Jeju and Tokyo”, said that spokesperson.
Grand Korea Leisure will reactivate offices in Hiroshima and Sapporo in Japan, in the second half this year. The offices had been shuttered in March 2022, according to the Grand Korea Leisure spokesperson. That had coincided with travel restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. GKL has had since October 2022 four offices in Japan: in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.
The spokesperson added that Grand Korea Leisure had also been restoring its China marketing team to pre-pandemic levels by increasing staff in that team. The person didn’t disclose the number. Grand Korea Leisure currently has no liaison offices in China and has no plan to create any, noted the representative.
Grand Korea Leisure, a subsidiary of the Korea Tourism Organization, operates three foreigner-only, Seven Luck-branded, casinos. Two are in the capital Seoul, including a venue in the Gangnam district. The third casino property is in the southeastern port city of Busan.
