Kangwon Land

License: no license claim on the operator site.

What it is

Kangwon Land is a casino resort in the highlands of Gangwon Province, at Gohan-eup in Jeongseon-gun, about 1,100 meters above sea level¹. It sits roughly a 3.5-hour drive from Seoul, which makes it a long day trip or an overnight stay rather than a quick stop⁵. The resort opened on October 28, 2000, as a hotel and casino complex, and it was the first casino-style property in Korea built to admit both Korean nationals and overseas visitors⁶.

The casino floor covers about 13,000 pyeong, making it the largest casino in the country⁴. It holds around 200 table games and 1,360 slot machines, and the operator lists 12 poker tables and 3 Casino War tables among the table games⁴. Older figures put the floor at 200 table game stations and 1,360 slot and video game units, so the scale has been consistent for years².

Beyond the casino, the resort runs a golf course, a ski house and a theme park². There is a casino buffet and a VIP lounge, and dealers serve complimentary tea and beverages on the floor². Parking is available and free².

Two changes are in the works. Renovation work covering 477 hotel rooms and 280 condominium units is scheduled to finish by the end of 2027¹⁰. Separately, the site is planned to be reborn as a global complex resort in 2028, with a performance hall, an infinity pool and a food court built on the old theme park site⁷. Neither is open yet, so plan around the current property if you are visiting soon.

Licenses and regulator

Kangwon Land is not an online gambling site and does not hold an online license. It operates as a land casino under a special act that permits one casino establishment in the country to admit both Korean nationals and foreigners, which is the legal basis for its unusual position¹¹. There is no license claim on its site in the sense an online player would look for, because there is no online product to license.

What matters practically is the entry control regime, which is stricter than at most casinos in the region. Visitors are limited to a maximum of 15 days per month and 15 hours per day, with a mandatory nine-hour rest period¹. Anyone who visits more than 60 days a year is required to complete a mandatory prevention program³. The operator also runs the KL Addiction Management Center¹².

There is a cooling-off system for suspected problem gamblers. Under rules introduced after 2016, people who gamble 30 days over two consecutive months are treated as suspected addicts and banned from entry for one month, then two months on a second repeat and three months on a third; the ban can be lifted if they attend a six-hour education program at the company-run anti-gambling center¹³. Lawmakers have at times suggested cutting the permitted days per month from 15 to eight, but that remains a proposal rather than a rule¹³.

For a visitor, none of this changes the basics: bring ID, expect to be counted, and do not plan on living at the tables for a fortnight.

Where it accepts players

Kangwon Land is the only casino in South Korea that Korean residents and foreigners can enter together, and the only one legally open to Korean nationals¹⁴. Every other casino in the country is foreigners-only. That single fact is why the property exists and why the entry rules are so specific.

Admission is granted to Korean citizens and to foreign visitors². The casino opened a foreigners-only game zone in June 2013, so foreign guests have a dedicated area as well as access to the main floor¹⁶.

The age limit is 20. Entry is barred for minors under 20, for local residents, and for people subject to entry restrictions, and identity is checked at the door¹⁷. Age is judged by your birthday on the day you enter, not by the year you were born¹⁷.

What you bring depends on who you are:

• Korean citizens: a Korean ID card or driver's license. Passports and other identity documents are not accepted for local citizens⁹.
• Foreign visitors: a passport. A driver's license is not accepted⁹.
• Korean citizens and foreigners with an expatriate passport (permanent residence): admission is granted under the Emigration Act, and a passport is required⁹.

Local residents of the surrounding area are excluded, so if you live in the immediate district, expect to be turned away regardless of age or nationality¹⁷.

The legal position by country

For anyone in South Korea, the position is simple. Kangwon Land is the country's only casino legally open to locals, and it is the only place a Korean citizen can play casino games on Korean soil¹⁸. If you are a Korean national, this is your legal option. If you are a foreign visitor or resident, you can play here too, and you can also play at the foreigners-only casinos elsewhere in the country.

Online is a different matter. Playing on offshore casino websites is illegal in South Korea, and players have been prosecuted. Korean authorities have been actively pushing to combat illegal overseas gambling, and a unified task force has been proposed to coordinate enforcement²⁰. If you are a Korean resident, the practical risk of an offshore account is real and not theoretical.

For players elsewhere in Asia, Kangwon Land is a physical destination, not a service you can use from your couch. There is no sign-up, no account, no deposit method and no withdrawal process to review. If you are in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore or elsewhere in the region and you want to visit, you travel to Jeongseon with your passport and you play on the floor.

If you are looking for online play from within Asia, this page is not the right starting point. See Can I Gamble in South Korea? for the country picture, Can I Play at Online Casinos in South Korea? for the online rules, and Overseas Betting Sites and Korean Players if you are weighing offshore options and their risks.

Games and payments

The floor is built around table games and machines. The operator lists around 200 table games, including 12 poker tables and 3 Casino War tables⁴. Slot capacity is 1,360 machines¹. An earlier count put the floor at 200 table game stations and 1,360 slot and video game units, which lines up with the current figures².

There is no entry fee. Admission is free, and parking is free². The only money you need is what you intend to play with. Slot machines accept all Korean won banknotes and dedicated tickets, so you can move between cash and tickets without a cashier trip²¹.

On the practical side:

• Bring cash in Korean won. There is no online wallet or account to fund.
• Bring the right ID for your status, as listed above, or you will not get past the door⁹.
• Expect a 15-hour daily cap and a 15-day monthly cap on your visits¹.
• Expect a nine-hour mandatory rest between visits¹.
• If you visit more than 60 days in a year, you will be asked to complete a prevention program³.

The casino runs from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning³. That is an 20-hour window, but the 15-hour daily limit means you cannot simply stay for all of it. Plan your session around the cap rather than the opening hours.

Reservations can be made by phone on 1588-7789¹. If you are coming from Seoul, the drive is about 3.5 hours, so an overnight stay makes more sense than a same-day return⁵. The resort has a hotel, and the renovation now under way will refresh 477 rooms and 280 condominium units by the end of 2027¹⁰.

One thing to keep in mind if you are a regular: the property has seen high-risk gamblers return in numbers, which is part of why the entry limits and prevention programs exist¹⁸. The rules are enforced, not decorative.