Alpensia Casino in Pyeongchang

Alpensia Casino: a foreigners-only casino in Pyeongchang

Alpensia Casino sits inside the Alpensia resort complex in Pyeongchang, in Gangwon Province, and it is a foreigners-only casino¹. The resort is a mountain destination in the Daegwallyeong area, and the casino is a compact gaming space tucked into this setting. Like the other foreigner-only casinos in South Korea, it does not admit Korean nationals, so you will need your passport to get in.

The venue is one of South Korea's foreigner-only casinos, a category that covers 16 licensed venues across the country². These casinos exist mainly to serve international tourists, and Alpensia's location makes it a natural stop for foreign visitors who come to Pyeongchang for skiing, hiking or the resort hotels. It is not a large integrated resort in the style of Incheon's Paradise City; it is a modest floor with a handful of tables and machines, convenient if you are already staying at Alpensia or passing through the area.

If you want to check anything before visiting, contact the casino directly, as opening details and table availability can change with the seasons¹. The resort sits in the Daegwallyeong mountain area of Gangwon Province, so weather can be a factor in getting there at certain times of year. Calling ahead is the simplest way to confirm current hours and what is running on the floor.

Who can enter the casino

Alpensia Casino is open to foreign visitors only¹. This is the standard arrangement across South Korea: under the Tourism Promotion Act, South Korean residents are not permitted to enter licensed casinos, with one exception in Gangwon Province³. The exception is Kangwon Land Casino in Jeongseon, which admits both Korean nationals and foreigners. Kangwon Land is also much larger, with around 200 table games⁴, but it is a separate venue on the other side of the province, not an alternative floor at Alpensia.

In practice, foreigner-only casinos in South Korea require a passport and do not admit Korean nationals². The National Gambling Control Commission has also directed these venues to strengthen nationality screening and the management of customer data, so expect your passport to be checked at the entrance⁵. Bring the original document, not a photocopy or a photo on your phone.

If you are a foreign resident of South Korea rather than a tourist, the same rule applies: the restriction turns on nationality, not residence status, so foreign passport holders may enter while Korean citizens may not³. For the wider picture of what gambling is available in the country, see our page on gambling in South Korea.

Games on offer: blackjack, baccarat, roulette and slots

The casino floor offers table games including blackjack, baccarat and roulette, along with slot machines¹. That is the classic lineup you will find at most foreigner-only casinos in South Korea. Jeju Shilla Hotel Casino, for example, lists roulette, blackjack, baccarat and slots among its offerings⁶. Larger venues add more variety: Paradise City in Incheon spreads blackjack at various limits, European and American roulette, Texas Hold'em poker, Tai Sai and Big Wheel across its floor².

If you are new to any of the games, the rules are the same here as anywhere else in Asia. Our guides to baccarat rules, blackjack rules and roulette rules cover how each game works, and our page on the house edge of casino games explains which bets give you the best mathematical return. For a sense of how table minimums and maximum bets vary across the region, see casino table limits in Asia.

With a capacity of 150 people, do not expect dozens of tables of each game. The floor is small, and during busy periods, such as the ski season, you may have to wait for a seat at a table. Calling ahead on the number above is a reasonable way to check what is running on a given night.

Opening hours: 24 hours, 365 days a year

Alpensia Casino operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year¹. There are no closing days, so the floor runs through public holidays, Korean Lunar New Year and the resort's peak winter weeks alike. This matches the pattern at most foreigner-only casinos in the country: Paradise Casino venues advertise 24-hour, year-round operation⁷, and Paradise City in Incheon likewise runs around the clock⁸. Paradise Casino Incheon, five minutes from Incheon International Airport, is another example of a foreigner-only venue with continuous operation⁹.

A 24-hour schedule is convenient if you are staying at the resort and want to play after an evening on the slopes or a late dinner. The quiet hours tend to be early morning, which is also when you are most likely to have a table to yourself. For how opening hours compare across the region, see our page on casino opening hours in Asia.

Capacity: 150 visitors

The casino can hold 150 people¹. That figure tells you a lot about the scale of the place: it is a single modest gaming floor, not a resort-sized complex. For comparison, Paradise City in Incheon runs 350 slot machines alone², and Kangwon Land, the citizens' casino in Gangwon Province, has around 200 table games⁴. Alpensia is at the opposite end of the spectrum, a boutique-scale room.

The practical effect is that the floor can feel full during peak resort periods, especially winter weekends and holidays, when the Alpensia hotels fill with skiers. If a full house matters to you, visit on a weekday or in the off-season, or call ahead to ask how busy it is.

What to bring and what to expect on the day

Bring your passport; it is required at foreigner-only casinos in Korea, and nationality screening at the door is taken seriously². Smart casual clothing is the safe choice; for more detail on what venues across the region accept and refuse, see our page on casino dress codes in Asia.

When you arrive, you will exchange cash for chips at the table or the cage. Our guide to buying and cashing chips explains how casino cages, currencies and chip rules work across Asia. Photography on the floor is generally restricted; check our page on casino photography and phone rules before you pull out your camera. If you want a sense of local practice on tipping dealers, our page on tipping in Asian casinos covers it.

A few things worth knowing about the setting:

• The casino sits within a larger resort that includes hotels, ski facilities and restaurants, so dining and accommodation are steps away.
• Winter driving on the Daegwallyeong plateau can be slow and snowy, so allow extra time if you are coming up between December and February.
• If you are staying in Seoul and want a casino closer to hand, the foreigner-only venues there, such as Seven Luck Casino Gangnam COEX and Paradise Casino Walkerhill Seoul, are easier to reach.

Other casinos in South Korea

Alpensia is one of 16 foreigner-only casinos in South Korea². The biggest cluster is in and around Seoul and Incheon:

Jeju Island has its own set of foreigner-only venues, including Paradise Casino Jeju Grand and the Jeju Shilla Hotel Casino, both with the familiar roulette, blackjack, baccarat and slots lineup⁶. Busan has Paradise Casino Busan, open 24 hours⁶.

The one casino open to everyone, Korean citizens and foreigners alike, is Kangwon Land Casino in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. It is by far the country's largest casino, with around 200 table games⁴, and it is the only place where a Korean national can legally play table games in a domestic casino. If you are planning a wider trip, our page on casinos and integrated resorts in Asia puts all of these venues in context.