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GKL reports 41% surge in May casino sales as table gaming drives growth

South Korean casino operator Grand Korea Leisure recorded strong year-on-year growth in May, with gains across both table and machine gaming contributing to higher revenues at its foreigner-only Seven Luck casinos.

2 min read
May
Key Points
GKL's May casino sales rose 40.8% year-on-year to KRW43.1bn
Table games generated KRW38.8bn in revenue, remaining the operator's largest revenue source
Year-to-date casino sales increased 8.5% to KRW190bn through the first five months of 2026

Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) reported casino sales of KRW43.1bn ($28m) for May 2026, representing a 40.8% increase compared with the same month last year and a 7.3% rise from April.

The South Korean operator, which runs three foreigner-only Seven Luck casinos in Seoul and Busan, showed strong performance across both table games and machine gaming during the month.

Table games remained the primary revenue driver, generating KRW38.8bn in sales. This marked a 43.3% increase year-on-year and a 4.9% improvement compared with April.

Machine gaming revenue also advanced, rising 21.5% year-on-year to KRW4.3bn, while posting a notable 35.5% month-on-month increase.

Customer activity also strengthened during May. Table drop, a key measure of gaming volume representing the amount exchanged for gaming chips, reached KRW379.5bn. This was up 16% compared with May 2025 and 9.8% higher than the previous month.

Performance varied across GKL’s portfolio, with the Seven Luck Gangnam property in Seoul contributing the largest share of casino revenue. The venue generated KRW23.1bn in sales, an increase of more than 57% year-on-year. Seoul Dragon City and Busan Lotte casinos also recorded annual growth.

The latest figures extend GKL’s positive momentum in 2026. For the first five months of the year, cumulative casino sales reached KRW190bn, up 8.5% compared with the same period in 2025. During that period, table game revenue increased 7.7% while machine gaming revenue rose 17%.

For the first five months of 2026, cumulative group casino sales reached KRW190bn, up 8.5% year-on-year. Table games accounted for KRW172bn of that total, a 7.7% increase, while machine sales rose 17% to KRW17.83bn.

GKL operates three foreigner-only Seven Luck-branded casinos across Seoul and Busan. The company is majority-owned by the Korea Tourism Organisation, a state entity under South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Overall, May's strong result marks a notable rebound following a mixed start to the year. After solid January and February performances, GKL saw casino sales fall 22.8% year-on-year in March, driven primarily by weaker table game activity.

The operator returned to growth in the first quarter overall, however, posting Q1 sales of KRW110.7bn – up 0.7% year-on-year and a sharp turnaround from a KRW800m operating loss in Q4 2025.

The May figures now build on that recovery and represent the most significant year-on-year monthly growth the operator has recorded in recent months.

Good to know

GKL operates three Seven Luck casinos exclusively for foreign visitors, with two properties in Seoul and one in Busan

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