South Korea's foreigner-only casino operator Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) reported lower casino sales in October, falling 6.5% year-on-year to KRW 28.56bn ($20.4m).
The monthly result also represented a 17.9% decline compared with September, marking a slowdown in table game activity following several months of solid growth.
Table game revenue decreased 9.5% year-on-year to KRW 25.2bn and was down 19.8% month-on-month. In contrast, machine game revenue rose 24.8% year-on-year to KRW 3.4bn, remaining largely stable from the previous month.
Despite the drop in overall sales, GKL recorded a 5.5% year-on-year and 4.5% month-on-month increase in total gaming drop, the amount exchanged for chips, reaching KRW 330.3bn. The figure reflects continued spending among foreign visitors, even as table play volumes moderated.
For the first ten months of 2025, GKL's cumulative casino sales stood at KRW 347.3bn, an increase of 9.2% from the same period last year. Table games contributed KRW 314.4bn, up 8.7%, while machine games generated KRW 32.8bn, rising 14.9% year-on-year. However, total drop for the year-to-date fell 1.2% to KRW 3.05tn.
The company's softer October results come amid broader market adjustments in South Korea's casino industry. In late October, Bloomberry Resorts Corporation announced plans to divest its Jeju Sun Hotel & Casino, signaling a continued shift among regional operators to refocus on core markets such as the Philippines.
While GKL's year-to-date performance remains ahead of 2024 levels, analysts expect near-term volatility to persist as the foreign tourism recovery stabilizes and competition within the Asia-Pacific gaming sector intensifies.
GKL operates three foreigner-only casinos under the Seven Luck brand, two in Seoul and one in Busan, as a subsidiary of the Korea Tourism Organization, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
