Half of Regular Casino Visitors in South Korea Are Aged 60 or Over

^{An older man on the casino gaming floor}

Half of the frequent visitors to the Kangwon Land* casino in South Korea are aged 60 or over, according to Seoul Economic Daily, citing data provided to South Korean lawmaker Cha Gyu-geun.

Between January and 15 September 2026, 12,586 people visited Kangwon Land on at least 30 separate days.

Of these frequent visitors, 50.1%, or 6,304 people, were aged 60 or over.

Among those who visited even more frequently — on at least 60 days during the same period — older customers accounted for 48.1%. In other words, nearly half of these visitors were in the older age group.

The total number of casino visits made by older customers is also rising. In 2022, people aged 60 and over made approximately 712,000 visits, compared with 972,000 in 2025.

Between the start of 2026 and 15 September, this age group accounted for around 719,000 visits, representing 41.5% of all visits. These figures count individual visits rather than unique customers, so the same person may have visited the casino multiple times.

One possible explanation is the financial difficulties faced by older South Koreans. According to official government statistics, 35.6% of older people are not preparing for retirement.

Experts suggest that some may see gambling as a way to improve their financial circumstances.

Cha Gyu-geun has called on Kangwon Land’s management to strengthen protections for older customers, including monitoring how frequently they visit and referring them to gambling addiction specialists when necessary.

* Kangwon Land is the only casino in South Korea open to local citizens. All other casinos are for foreign visitors only.