South Korean foreigner-only casino operator Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) has further extended the closure period of its three casinos in Seoul and Busan after the national government said it would maintained its COVID-19 alert levels for another two weeks.
Gangnam COEX and Gangbuk, Millenium Seoul Hilton and Seven Luck Casino in Busan Lotte will all reach a full two months since they last welcomed guests in late November with GKL announcing Monday that all three will remain closed until 1 February. Both Seoul properties suspended operations on 24 November and the Busan casino on 1 December in response to rising COVID-19 numbers, which soared past 1,000 new infections per day in December.
Strict nationwide social distancing measures have since seen daily case numbers fall by more than half, with 366 locally acquired infections reported Monday, although the government has maintained alert level 2.5 – the second highest on Korea’s five-tier system.
GKL said Monday it expected to record a loss in casino sales of KRW27.5 billion (US$24.9 million) for the extended closure period based on average daily net sales from July to September 2020.
Fellow foreigner-only casino operator Paradise Co continues to operate its casinos in Seoul, Busan and Incheon, having briefly closed Paradise Walkerhill in Seoul in December.