South Korea foreigner-only casino license requirements start with the Tourism Promotion Act: a casino operator must have the facilities and machines set by Ministerial Decree and obtain permission from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The National Gambling Control Commission’s policy page says venues that bar Korean citizens are excluded from its yearly sales ceiling.
This is an evergreen explainer, not a news item. On 3 October 2026 this desk read the Korea Legislation Research Institute’s English translation of the Act (a reference text, not the official one), the NGCC’s policy page and a January 2024 KED Global report.
South Korea foreigner-only casino license requirements, row by row
| Item | What the page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Grantor | Permission from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Act, Art. 5(1) |
| Prerequisite | Facilities and machines, including an exclusive business facility, per Ministerial Decree | Act, Art. 5(1) |
| Sales ceiling | Venues barring Korean citizens are excluded | NGCC |
| Stated ratio | 10.8% “currently fixed”; ceiling KRW1tn in 2018 | NGCC |
| Latest new permission reported | Mohegan’s Inspire, January 2024, under the Free Economic Zones Special Act | KED Global |
| Its condition | Keep investing in other entertainment attractions in Korea | KED Global |
| Previous new permission | Grand Korea Leisure, 2005 | KED Global |
| Count | 17 foreigners-only casinos | KED Global, January 2024 |
Which body grants the permission?
The ministry, on the statute’s wording: Article 5(1) of the reference translation makes a casino business subject to its permission.
How the NGCC sales ceiling treats foreigner-only casinos
The commission’s policy page is undated and its figures stop at 2018, so read them as stated policy rather than this year’s numbers. It says casinos other than foreigner-only venues exceeded the ceiling by KRW553.4bn over 2013-2017, and proposes legal sanctions for breaches. Foreigner-only houses sit outside that line.
Korea Free Economic Zone casino license: the Inspire precedent
KED Global reported that the ministry approved Inspire’s casino under the Special Act on Designation and Management of Free Economic Zones, making Mohegan the first foreign investor to benefit from that law, enforced in 2021. The investment condition travels with the asset, which is why it matters to any buyer of Inspire and was part of our Bain Capital assessment.
None of the three pages read states an eligibility threshold, such as a minimum investment or hotel grade, so this post prints none.
Questions readers ask
Who issues casino licenses in South Korea?
Under Article 5(1) of the Tourism Promotion Act, in the KLRI’s English reference translation, a casino business needs permission from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. KED Global reported that the same ministry approved Inspire’s foreigners-only casino in January 2024.
How many foreigner-only casinos are there in South Korea?
KED Global put the count at 17 foreigners-only casinos in January 2024. That is a press count at a date, not a regulator’s register, and this desk found no later official tally on the pages it read. Kangwon Land, which admits Korean nationals, sits outside that category.
Why can’t Koreans enter foreigner-only casinos?
The category is defined by the door. The NGCC’s policy page describes foreigner-only businesses as ones that prohibit the entrance of Korean citizens, and excludes them from its yearly sales ceiling on that basis. The statutory entry rule itself was not in the text this desk read, so this post does not paraphrase it.
The one exception is Kangwon Land, reportedly building a foreigners-only zone. This page maps a licensing regime for the operators and analysts who price it, an adult trade readership; we hold no licence and run no tables.