Recently-opened Jeju WanLi Casino to suspend operations for 2 months until Dec 31: local govt
Jeju WanLi Casino, a foreigner-only gaming venue (pictured), on the South Korean holiday island of Jeju, will suspend operations from Saturday (October 31) until December 31, inclusive. That is despite having up to 300 customer visits daily. The information was confirmed by a Jeju government offici…
Jeju WanLi Casino, a foreigner-only gaming venue (pictured), on the South Korean holiday island of Jeju, will suspend operations from Saturday (October 31) until December 31, inclusive. That is despite having up to 300 customer visits daily. The information was confirmed by a Jeju government official following a telephone enquiry on the matter from GGRAsia on Wednesday. The venue, on the site of the former Gongzi Casino, reportedly had a soft launch on September 2, a day after the reopening of its refurbished host property, the Sheraton Jeju Hotel. An earlier separately-branded hotel at the location, had closed in early 2025, ahead of the rejig. The casino under Gonzi branding, had paused from early November 2024. “The reasons for [Jeju] Wanli Casino’s operational suspension are likely ‘internal management strife’ and ‘financial difficulties’,” the Jeju government official noted to GGRAsia in response to a question on the reasons, and citing the background to the matter. GGRAsia has approached the casino’s management, seeking comment on the suspension and its causes. The Jeju official stated: “The casino has filed a suspension notice for up to December 31 to the Jeju government, but has not specified the exact reasons for suspension.” The Jeju official said Jeju WanLi Casino had recruited what were termed a “significant” number of employees, and had received as many as 200 to 300 customers daily on a regular basis since its soft launch in early September. The person confirmed that a planned ‘grand opening’ that had been announced for mid-October had not yet taken place. Since 2009, Jeju has had certain elements of regulatory control over the island’s foreigner-only casino industry. The Jeju government confirmed Jeju WanLi Casino is operated by Gil Sang Chang Hui LLC, a partnership company. The entity appointed veteran gaming executive Vincent Loi as chief operating officer in August 2025. Mr Loi served as associate senior vice president of international marketing at Hoiana Resort & Golf, a complex with a foreigner-only casino in Vietnam, from May 2023 to November 2024, according to his LinkedIn account.