Tourist Taxes, Road Charges and Visitor Fees at Asian Casino Destinations

This page covers the non-gambling costs of a casino trip: what you pay to sleep, to drive up the mountain, and in a few places to walk through the casino door. For the casino entry levies themselves in detail, see each country guide, such as gambling in Singapore or gambling in South Korea.

At a glance: the extra charges by destination

The Malaysian tourism tax figure and the check-in rule come from Resorts World Genting's own hotel terms.¹

What the law says

You do not need the legal detail to plan a trip, but it helps to know which charges are taxes set by governments and which are simply part of the venue's price.

Malaysia. The Tourism Tax is charged under a national law, the Tourism Tax Act 2017, not by the hotel's choice. That is why every hotel applies it the same way: RM10 per room per night for international tourists.¹

South Korea. The entry ticket at Kangwon Land, the one casino in Korea that admits Korean citizens, is partly a consumption tax. The casino itself says the tax is charged under the Individual Consumption Tax Act.⁶

The whole tax portion is passed to the national treasury, so it is not a casino fee in the usual sense.⁴

Korea also has a card rule worth knowing. Ordinary credit card payment for the entry ticket is restricted, but foreigners paying at a licensed casino with a credit card issued abroad fall under an exception.⁷

Japan. The rules for Japan's future casino resort were set in advance: an entry fee, a limit on the number of visits, and limits on casino lending, aimed at Japanese nationals and foreigners who live in Japan.⁸

Visitors who hold a tourist status are outside that fee.³

Singapore. The casino entry levy exists for Singapore citizens and permanent residents, and both casinos operate it as part of a government system.⁹

Who it applies to

The key question for almost every charge on this page is whether you are a visitor, a foreign resident, or a citizen. The answer changes from country to country.

Visitors (tourists on a short trip)

• Malaysia: you pay the RM10 per room per night Tourism Tax if you are not Malaysian.¹
• Singapore: you enter the casinos free.²
• Japan: you will enter the future casino free.³
• South Korea: most casinos are foreigners-only and you get in on your passport; Kangwon Land is the exception, where everyone buys an entry ticket.

Foreign residents (expats with a local address or residence permit)

• Malaysia: the Tourism Tax is aimed at international tourists. If you live in Malaysia and hold residence, ask the hotel at check-in whether it applies to you, since the published rule speaks of "non-Malaysians".
• Singapore: the levy applies to permanent residents. Expats on work passes who are not PRs are not in the levy group described by the casinos.⁹
• Japan: foreign residents will be treated like Japanese nationals, including the entry fee and visit limits.⁸
• South Korea: foreigners-only casinos are generally open to you on a foreign passport. For more on how residency changes access, see expats vs tourists casino rules.

Citizens

• Malaysians do not pay the Tourism Tax.¹
• Singapore citizens pay the entry levy.⁹
• Koreans can only play at Kangwon Land, where the entry ticket applies.
• Japanese nationals will pay the entry fee once a resort opens.⁸

Penalties and enforcement

For visitors, the practical risk around these charges is small, because hotels and road gantries simply collect them. You pay at check-in or at the road entry, and that is the end of it.

The one notable penalty is in Singapore, and it applies only to locals. A citizen or permanent resident who enters a casino without paying the levy can be fined up to $1,000 and must also pay the levy owed.¹⁰

In South Korea, casinos must check the identity of everyone coming in, which is how the foreigners-only rule is enforced. Bring your passport.¹¹

What is legal and licensed

A charge only matters where there is somewhere legal to go. Here is where the casino destinations stand today.

South Korea. Kangwon Land admits both Korean citizens and foreign visitors.¹²

The other casinos are foreigners-only, including Paradise, which describes itself as Korea's largest foreigners-only casino.¹³

Singapore. Two casino resorts operate, at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. For visitor rules at the island resort, see Resorts World Sentosa.

Malaysia. Resorts World Genting is the casino destination most visitors mean, and it is where the Tourism Tax and the new road charge both come into play. See gambling in Malaysia.

Japan. Not open yet. The rules for fees are set, but there is no casino to visit today.

Thailand. Not open. Casinos remain illegal.⁵

A bill to allow casinos inside large entertainment complexes has been discussed. An earlier plan said admission for foreign visitors would be free.¹⁴

A later official document, from July 2025, describes an entry levy charged to foreigners, who would need to show a passport.¹⁵

Five potential sites were named: two in Bangkok and one each in the Eastern Economic Corridor, Chiang Mai and Phuket.¹⁶

None of this is in operation, so treat any fee figure you see for Thailand as a plan, not a price. See gambling in Thailand.

Vietnam. Corona Resort & Casino on Phu Quoc is a legal casino licensed for both international guests and Vietnamese players.¹⁷

A casino complex at Van Don is being built as a pilot site where Vietnamese people may play.¹⁸

What it means for visitors and expats

Budgeting a Genting trip

Genting has two separate non-gambling charges, and it helps to plan for both.

1. The road charge. Since May 28, 2026, road users on Jalan Genting Highlands pay a road charge when they enter. It is collected at the Genting Sempah and Gohtong Jaya entries. Some categories of road user are exempt. If you arrive by tour coach or a hotel shuttle, ask the operator whether the charge is included in your fare.
2. The Tourism Tax. At the hotel desk, non-Malaysian guests are charged RM10 per room per night. It is per room, not per person, so two friends sharing one room pay it once per night.¹

A simple way to picture it: on a three-night stay in one room, expect to see the RM10 charge once for each of the three nights on your bill. On a one-night stay, it is RM10.

What to bring: your passport, since the hotel needs it to confirm whether you are an international guest, and a card or cash to settle the tax, which is collected at check-in.¹

For more on what you show at the desk, see hotel registration for foreigners.

Visiting Singapore

If you are a tourist, there is no casino entry charge for you. You walk in free.²

Bring your passport so staff can confirm you are not a citizen or permanent resident. If you are a Singapore PR who has moved abroad, the levy still follows your status, not your address.⁹

Sentosa itself has transport options with their own fares; if you want to know what non-guests can use at the resort, see casino resort access for non-guests.

Visiting Japan

There is nothing to budget for casino entry yet, because no casino has opened. When one does, foreign visitors will not pay to enter.³

What you will meet today is the accommodation tax in Tokyo. From April 1, 2027, it will cover more types of lodging, including private home-sharing stays, so if you book an apartment rather than a hotel, expect the tax on your bill from that date.

If you live in Japan and pay tax on casino winnings abroad, the tax you paid overseas can be claimed as a foreign tax credit on your Japanese return, so the same winnings are not taxed twice.¹⁹

Visiting South Korea

On a foreigners-only casino trip, the entry side is simple: show your passport and walk in.¹¹

At Kangwon Land, you buy an entry ticket, and part of it is a tax.⁶

If you plan to pay for the ticket by card, a credit card issued outside Korea is covered by the exception for foreigners at licensed casinos.⁷

Planning the Jeju or Busan side of a trip? The pages on LetsRun Park Jeju and LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam cover those visits.

Visiting Vietnam or Thailand

In Vietnam, you can visit the licensed Phu Quoc casino as an international guest.¹⁷

In Thailand, there is no casino to visit, so no casino fee to budget. Any levy you read about belongs to a plan that has not opened.⁵

Other costs that often travel with a casino trip

These charges sit alongside a few other practical costs worth reading about separately:

• visa fees, covered in visas for a casino trip
• cash and currency rules, covered in money for a casino trip and carrying cash across borders
• ferry and bridge crossings around Macau, covered in Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai crossings
• peak-period pricing, covered in peak travel periods at casino destinations

For the wider picture of what visitors may do, start at gambling as a visitor in Asia.

Quick checklist before you go

• Passport: needed at hotels, at foreigners-only casinos and to prove you are a visitor where locals pay a levy.
• Hotel bill: in Malaysia, the Tourism Tax is added at check-in, not built into the room rate you saw online.¹
• Road charge: if driving to Genting, expect to pay on entry since May 28, 2026.
• Card: in Korea, a foreign-issued credit card works for the Kangwon Land entry ticket.⁷
• Plans vs reality: Japan and Thailand have casino fee rules on paper but no open casinos.