Kangwon Land Casino

Kangwon Land Casino: South Korea's largest casino

Kangwon Land Casino is the biggest casino in South Korea and the only one in the country that Korean citizens may enter. Every other casino in the country is foreigners only, and you need your passport at the door to prove your nationality⁵. Kangwon Land is the exception, and that single fact shapes everything about how the place works: the crowd, the entry rules, the limits on how often you can come back.

The casino sits inside the High1 Resort complex in Jeongseon county, Gangwon Province, in the mountains east of Seoul. The resort runs a casino, a golf course, a ski house and a theme park, so the casino is one part of a larger destination rather than a standalone gambling hall⁶. The casino floor covers about 13,000 pyeong, and the property was fully renovated as a hotel casino with a 477-room first-class hotel⁷.

The address is 265 High1-gil, Sabuk-eup, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province⁹. For questions about visiting, the resort's main line is +82-1588-7789¹⁰. The official English casino site is www.high1.com/casino_eng¹¹.

If you want the wider picture of what is legal where in the country, our guide to gambling in South Korea covers the national rules, and casinos in South Korea explains who can walk into which property.

Entry rules for Korean citizens and foreigners

This is the part that trips people up, so it is worth being precise.

Kangwon Land grants admission to Korean citizens and foreign visitors alike¹⁰. That is unusual. In the rest of the country, casinos are foreigner-only, and the passport check at the door is there to keep Korean nationals out⁵. At Kangwon Land, everyone gets in, but the paperwork differs depending on who you are.

If you are a Korean citizen: you need a resident registration card or a driver's license. A passport will not work, and neither will a national technical qualification certificate, because those do not show your residence¹². You also pay the entry levy.

If you are a foreign visitor: bring your passport. It is the document that proves your nationality and gets you the entry tax exemption³. A driver's license is not accepted for this purpose².

If you are a Korean citizen with overseas permanent residence: you can also claim the exemption, but you must show the passport that documents your overseas permanent residence status. Again, a driver's license will not do².

Two more rules apply to everyone. Minors under 20 are barred, and the age is judged by your birthday on the day you enter, not by the year you were born². Intoxicated visitors are absolutely barred from entry under the casino's entry management rules². If you have had a few drinks before you arrive, you will be turned away at the door.

The casino is open all year without closing days⁴.

Entry limits and how they work

Kangwon Land is the one casino in Korea where locals can play, so it also carries the strictest entry tracking in the country. The rules are about frequency, not about a single visit.

You may not enter the casino more than 15 days in any month¹². That is the headline limit, and it applies to casino visitors generally.

There is a second layer that catches regulars. If you enter 15 days in two consecutive months, or more than 30 days in a quarter, or more than 30 days in a quarter for two consecutive quarters, the casino requires you to have a High1 Resort Card issued, and it may refuse you entry for a period or permanently¹². The published penalty schedule runs: first offense, one month refusal; second offense, two months; third offense, permanent ban³.

In practice, this means the casino knows how often you come. If you are a visitor on a short trip, none of this will touch you. If you are a resident planning to make Kangwon Land a regular stop, get the High1 Resort Card early rather than at the point where you are being asked about it at the desk.

Games on the floor: tables and machines

The floor is large and the game mix is broad. The casino houses 200 table game stations and 1,360 slot machine and video game units¹. That total breaks down into 60 slot machines and 1,300 video game machines¹³. Some older listings give different slot figures, so treat the machine count as approximate if you are counting on a specific cabinet being there.

Table games run across two levels: the first floor of the casino gaming hall and the second floor of the extension casino¹⁴.

The table lineup, by the numbers:

Baccarat is the dominant game by a wide margin, which matches what you will see on the floor: long rows of baccarat tables with the biggest crowds around them¹³. Blackjack is the second-largest block¹³. Roulette is comparatively small at 13 tables¹⁵.

If you want to understand how these games are played in a Korean casino setting, our page on casino games in Korea walks through the basics.

Table games by the numbers: 93 baccarat, 62 blackjack, 13 roulette

The three headline games deserve a closer look, because the table counts tell you something about how the floor is organized.

Baccarat: 93 tables. This is the anchor of the casino. The tables are split across general floor, VIP section and a foreigner-only section, with different minimums in each¹. If you are new to the game, the general floor is where you want to start.

Blackjack: 62 tables. Also split across general, VIP and foreigner-only areas¹. Blackjack is the second-largest game on the floor and the one most familiar to visitors from North America and Europe.

Roulette: 13 tables. The smallest of the big three, with 12 of those tables in the VIP section¹. If roulette is your game, expect to find most of the wheels in the VIP area rather than on the main floor.

Beyond the big three, the casino runs 12 poker tables¹⁶, 8 dai-sai tables¹³, 3 casino war tables¹³, 2 big wheel tables¹⁵ and 7 electronic table game units¹³. Poker players should note that the poker room is a real presence here, not an afterthought.

VIP club and lounge

Kangwon Land runs a VIP-only club and lounge with higher-grade service for VIP customers¹³. The casino also has a dedicated restaurant, described as a modern, clean casino-exclusive dining room, along with a club and lounge¹³.

General amenities include complimentary tea and beverages, a casino buffet and the VIP lounge⁶. The resort as a whole has restaurants, bars, a shopping mall and other convenience facilities⁷.

If you are visiting on a standard trip, the complimentary drinks and the buffet are the practical bits. The VIP club is a separate tier and you will know if you qualify.

What else is at High1: ski resort, water park and markets

The casino is one part of a resort that runs on four seasons. High1 Resort offers a water park, skiing, golf and the casino¹⁷. In winter the ski slopes are the main draw; in summer the water park and golf take over.

Nearby attractions include High1 Ski Resort, High1 Water World, the Kangwon Land Gondola, Jeongseon Arirang Market and Jeongseon Oil Market⁷. The gondola is the easiest way to see the mountain without skiing, and the two markets in Jeongseon town are where you go for local food and produce.

The resort hotel has 477 rooms⁸, so staying on site is an option if you do not want to drive the mountain roads after a session. Parking is free⁶.

Getting there and what to bring

Kangwon Land is in the mountains of Gangwon Province, in Jeongseon county. It is not a city casino and there is no subway stop outside. Most visitors arrive by car or by resort shuttle from the nearest rail connections.

What to bring:

• Photo ID. Korean citizens: resident registration card or driver's license. Foreigners: passport. No ID means no entry¹².
• Cash for the entry levy if you are a Korean citizen without overseas permanent residence. The levy is KRW 9,000⁶.
• Your passport if you want the entry tax exemption as a foreigner or an overseas-resident Korean³.

On payment: credit card payment is not allowed for the entry ticket¹⁸. Bring cash for the levy. There is an exception for foreigners paying with a card issued by a credit card business operating abroad at a casino licensed under the Tourism Promotion Act, but for most visitors the simple answer is to have cash ready³.

The casino is open all year with no closing days⁴. Parking is free⁶.

If you are comparing this with other properties in the region, our pages on casinos in Seoul, casinos on Jeju Island and casinos in Incheon cover the foreigner-only options, and Paradise City Casino and Jeju Dream Tower Casino are two of the larger ones.