Kangwon Land ponders MGM Osaka's impact on South Korean casinos
A two-day forum in Osaka, Japan, on 27 August 2025, will bring together South Korean officials, academics, and industry experts to assess the impact of Japan’s upcoming casino resort on Korea’s tourism and gaming sectors. The event, hosted by the Korea Casino Tourism Association and the Korea Tourism Society, will also be attended by Kangwon Land, South Korea’s only casino open to local residents.
The discussions come as Japan presses ahead with the $9 billion MGM Osaka integrated resort, due to open by 2030. Analysts warn the project could attract as many as 7.6 million Korean visitors annually, draining up to KRW 2.6 trillion ($1.9 billion) in domestic casino spending and posing a major challenge to South Korea’s own industry.
The under-construction MGM Osaka project will feature 2,500 hotel rooms across three brands, more than 730,000 square feet of conference and exhibition space, and a range of attractions designed to showcase Japanese culture. For South Korea, which operates 17 foreigner-only casinos alongside Kangwon Land, the scale of the development poses a significant threat.
Kangwon fears losing ground
Analysts fear that Korean gamblers and tourists may choose Osaka over domestic venues, potentially impacting both casino revenues and broader tourism earnings. The danger is especially acute for Kangwon Land, which depends heavily on domestic visitors from across the country.
In response, Kangwon Land has announced one of its most ambitious redevelopment programmes. In April 2024, it unveiled a KRW 2.5 trillion ($1.8 billion) expansion plan that aims to triple its casino floor space to 49,500 square metres by 2032, while also upgrading hotel capacity and entertainment facilities.
The project forms part of its wider “K-HIT Project 1.0”, an initiative to reposition its highland resort into a global integrated resort with a focus on wellness, sports, and leisure. The aim is to raise the share of non-gaming revenue from 13 percent today to 30 percent by 2032, a model inspired by the integrated resorts of Singapore and Macau.
Acting CEO Choi Cheol-gyu has framed the moment as a turning point. “Korea’s casino and tourism industry faces a pivotal test. Through phased innovation strategies like K-HIT, we aim to secure competitiveness, revitalise the mining region economy, and strengthen Korea’s global standing in integrated resorts,” he said in a recent statement.
Concerns not limited to Japan
Japan is not the only issue that worries the South Korean gaming sector. In recent years, neighboring nations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore have expanded their integrated resorts, creating jobs, increasing tax revenue, and attracting tourists from abroad. South Korea now faces direct competition from these markets for high-end travelers from Southeast and Northeast Asia.
Industry leaders contend that South Korea needs to change swiftly or risk falling behind. To encourage more innovation, more appealing resort amenities, and more effective marketing techniques to draw in both domestic and foreign tourists, some have advocated for regulatory easing.
The question for Seoul is whether Kangwon Land and the broader Korean casino industry can quickly adapt to meet the challenge as Japan prepares to open its first casino.
