South Korea's amended Annex Table 8 of the Enforcement Rule of the Tourism Promotion Act took effect on 1 July 2024, setting out the permitted casino business types by category1. The table is tied to Article 35, Paragraph 1 of the rule and is headed "casino business types"1.
The table divides casino business into three groups. Table games cover 19 listed items, from roulette, blackjack, dice (craps), poker, baccarat, tai sai, keno, big wheel, pai cow and fan tan through to joker seven, round craps, trent et quarante, French boule, chuck-a-luck, bingo, mahjong and casino war1. Electronic table games are split into dealer operated and automated, each listing 19 items, with the automated list running from roulette and blackjack through to casino war1. Machine games are limited to two items: slot machine and video game1.
Both the table game list and the two electronic table game lists end with the same catch all entry: any other business type whose mathematical probability and payout ratios are judged appropriate after consulting relevant experts and which is designated and announced by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism1.
"제1호머목, 제2호가목19) 및 나목19)의 규정에 따른 영업 종류는 2024년 7월 1일부터 2026년 6월 30일까지 운영할 수 있다."
| Category | Listed game types |
|---|---|
| Table game | 19 items, including roulette, blackjack, dice (craps), poker, baccarat, tai sai, keno, big wheel, pai cow, fan tan, joker seven, round craps, trent et quarante, French boule, chuck-a-luck, bingo, mahjong, casino war, plus ministerial designation1 |
| Electronic table game, dealer operated | 19 items, same list as table games1 |
| Electronic table game, automated | 19 items, same list as table games1 |
| Machine game | Slot machine, video game1 |
What it means for players
The table defines which games a licensed Korean casino may offer, so the practical effect for anyone playing in South Korea is that the games on the list are the ones a casino can lawfully run. The list is broad: it covers the standard table games found on most floors, including baccarat, blackjack, roulette and poker, and it also names less common games such as fan tan, pai cow, trent et quarante and French boule1. Electronic table games, both with a dealer and automated, are permitted across the same 19 items, while machine play is confined to slot machines and video games1.
The catch all entry means the list is not closed. A game that is not named can still be added if its mathematical probability and payout ratios are judged appropriate after expert consultation and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism designates it1. For players, that is the route by which new game types can appear on Korean casino floors without a fresh amendment to the table itself.
What happens to those categories after that date has not been reported.
What happens next
No further steps beyond that date are set out in the table.
For background on how game rules are set and approved across the region, see Who Sets Casino Game Rules? Statutory Rules and Regulator Approval in Asia and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions. For the games themselves, see Casino Table Games in Asia: Rules, Odds and House Edge Explained, Live Dealer vs Casino Floor: How Table Games Differ Online and in Person and Casino Table Etiquette: Buying In, Hand Signals and Touching Cards. For the Korean market specifically, see Can I Gamble in South Korea?.
Sources1 sources
- flDownload.do, law.go.kr
