South Korea’s casinos report further closures
Kangwon Land, the only casino allowed to serve local residents in South Korea, has announced it will temporarily close its doors due to the increased alert level in the country.
The reopening date for the casino hasn’t been announced yet, but the company notes it expects to lose KRW1bn ($921,506) per day during the shutdown. Many casinos in the country have reported similar closures.
In order to stop the spread of COVID-19, South Korea implemented stricter safety measures throughout the country in certain areas, including Seoul and Gangwon Province. Bars and gyms, which were allowed to operate as normal until now, will be closed, and the gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited.
Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), an operator of foreigner-only casinos, stated it will be extending the shutdown of its casinos until 29 December.
Previously, Gangnam COEX and Gangbuk Hilton in Seoul were set to reopen on 9 December, while Busan Lotte in Busan planned to resume work on 15 December. GKL expects to lose KRW13.6bn due to closures. The group’s casino sales for November were KRW5.49bn, an 88% year-on-year decline.
However, there’s no direct requirement for the casinos to suspend their operations. Paradise Co reported its casinos will remain open despite the alert level increase. Some venues in Jeju island also remained operational, but they are suffering from the lack of foreign customers.
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