Korea’s foreigner-only casino operators are expected to enjoy a particularly strong Chinese New Year in 2026, with recent industry growth to be further bolstered by the rapid return of Chinese tourists, according to industry analysts. Korea’s casinos are also benefitting from the ongoing diplomatic spat between China and Japan, which has resulted in a greater percentage of Chinese travellers choosing Korea as their destination of choice.
Local media outlet The Asia Business Daily cited a raft of analysts who are calling on investors to aggressively invest in Korean casino stocks in the short-term to capitalize on the surge, with Paradise Co – operator of four foreigner-only casinos including the Paradise City integrated resort in Incheon – named as the preferred option. Jeju Dream Tower operator Lotte Tour Development and Seven Luck parent Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) are Korea’s other listed foreigner-only casino operators.
“January results confirmed the positive impact of increasing inbound traffic, and in February we expect an additional boost from the Lunar New Year effect,” said Park Sooyoung, analyst at Hanwha Investment & Securities. “A strategy of aggressively increasing positions in the near term, centered on Paradise, appears valid.”
The commentary comes after Paradise reported its highest monthly net casino sales in history of KRW94.3 billion in January, while GKL’s Seven Luck Casino Gangnam COEX reported its largest mass table drop in two years.
“As the Korea–Japan travel ban continues for an extended period, we are seeing clear signs of recovery driven by Chinese tourists visiting casinos in the Seoul metropolitan area,” Park added.
As a result, “Park said, “More than 200,000 Chinese tourists are expected to visit Korea during the Lunar New Year holidays in February.
“Casino properties in the Seoul metropolitan area have already confirmed strong inbound momentum in their January results, and the Lunar New Year effect will be even stronger.”
The Asia Business Daily cited statistics from the Chinese Embassy in Korea showing that, from November to January, total visa applications across all Korean consulates in China for travel to Korea was 330,613 cases, up 34.0% year-on-year.
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