The decision to resume work came as a surprise since the company’s other operations remain closed due to the virus outbreak. Paradise even extended the lockdown until April 20 for its casinos in Seoul, Busan and Incheon. The company also stressed that even with the casinos being closed, the hotels remain open.
However, the island venue Casino Jeju Grand opened its doors on Monday. Like Paradise’s other operations, Jeju Grand is only accessible to foreigners with a foreign passport. It’s still unclear what prompted the decision to re-open the venue as any international travel remains restricted.
Paradise Co recently revealed the revenue for March was only $16m, a significant drop compared to last year. The sum is also 69% lower than the total of February 2020. But due to a strong start in January, Q1 2020 for Paradise suffered a mere 3.8% drop.
The re-opening is considered by some to be a way to outrun competitors. Reportedly, Grand Korea Leisure, operator of three foreigner-only casinos, chose to comply with the social distancing measures and all its venues remain closed until April 20.
Kangwon Land, the only casino where South Koreans are allowed to gamble, also extended the suspension of operations for at least a week.
