South Korea’s Kangwon Land Expands Capacity, Signs Distribution Deal

Posted on: November 3, 2021, 11:10h. 

Last updated on: November 3, 2021, 11:37h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

South Korea only has one casino open to residents — Kagwon Land. The casino just raised limits on the number of people who can visit per day from 1,800 to 2,300, and another increase could be on the way.

Kangwon Land, South Korea, Casino
An aerial view of the Kangwon Land casino in South Korea, which is finally able to begin increasing the number of gamblers allowed on its gaming floors. (Image: Smart Brief)

The capacity restrictions were in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of next Monday, the casino might receive permission to raise its visitor figure to 3,000 people, a representative of the casino told GGR Asia. However, this figure is still 50% lower than the 6,000 visitor figure it had before the pandemic. The easing of these restrictions will depend on the evolution of the pandemic, stated the representative.

Lottery To Play, Vaccination to Enter

In order to maintain capacity at the casino, Kangwon Land instituted a lottery for a chance to enter the premises. According to sources, even during the pre-pandemic era, the demand by clients for a seat at a gaming table or slot machine in the casino would often surpass capacity.

On Monday, South Korea approved new COVID-19 measures. Foreigners and locals are required to provide proof of vaccination to enter many public establishments. However, the casino was granted a grace period from now til Monday, Nov. 8, to implement the policy, according to the Kangwon Land website.

The vaccine pass in South Korea is issued to people at least 14 days after confirmation that the individual has passed the double vaccination procedure. The pass can be registered either via smartphone or endorsement on the individual’s ID card.

People without a vaccine can still enter the Kangwon Land casino. That’s as long as they have a certification or a telephone text message indicating that they have a negative COVID-19 test result issued within 48 hours of the time they intend to visit the casino.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that, since 12 AM on Wednesday, South Korea had registered 2,667 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours. Currently, 72% of South Koreans living in the country have received both shots of the vaccine, according to the Ministry.

Kangwon Land Signs Distribution Deals

Kangwon Land recently signed a deal with Peruvian entertainment provider Latin Games SAC. The agreement enables Kangwon to distribute its KL Saberi slot machines in South America.

The deal was signed last month at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, but was only recently made public. The KL Saberi brand has produced 21 different games ever since 2017, when it started, according to a source in Kangwon Land.

A representative of the slot machine game developer added that the expansion abroad of its slot machine brand had suffered a “difficult time due to COVID-19.”

Kangwon Land has also signed similar recent agreements to distribute slot machines in Malaysia with RGB International Bhd. The distributor will give Kangwon Land expanded access in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.