Settled
Half of Gangwon Land’s frequent casino visitors are 60 or older, data shows
In short
Half of the people who visited the Gangwon Land casino on 30 days or more this year were 60 or older, data submitted to Rep. Cha Kyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party shows. Overall, 25.1% of the casino’s 349,289 unique visitors between Jan 1 and Sep 15 were 60 or older, and cumulative visits by that age group have risen since 2022. Cha called on Gangwon Land to put protecting older users ahead of casino revenue and to strengthen prevention measures.
Why it matters
The figures give a parliamentary oversight case for stronger prevention and counselling aimed at older casino users, an issue the lawmaker describes as urgent given the pace of growth. The documents record no announced change in policy or company practice, and no response from Gangwon Land, so the practical effect so far is limited to the committee’s scrutiny.
Key facts
- The data were submitted by Gangwon Land to Rep. Cha Kyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Industry, Trade, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, and cover Jan 1 to Sep 15 this year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Of 349,289 unique casino visitors in that period, 87,533 (25.1%) were aged 60 or older. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Of 12,586 visitors who came on 30 days or more, 6,304 (50.1%) were 60 or older; of 2,437 who came on 60 days or more, 1,172 (48.1%) were in that age group. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Some 7.2% of visitors aged 60 and over came on 30 days or more, three times the 2.4% rate among visitors under 60. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Cumulative visits by people aged 60 and over rose from 711,659 in 2022 to 972,440 in 2025, an increase of 36.6%. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The 60-and-over share of all cumulative visits rose from 34.2% in 2022 to 39.2% in 2025 and reached 41.5% (718,568 visits) by Sep 15 this year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Rep. Cha called on Gangwon Land to put the protection of older users ahead of casino revenue and to strengthen tailored prevention measures, including checks on frequent-visit patterns and referrals to professional counselling. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Data submitted by Gangwon Land to Rep. Cha Kyu-geun show 349,289 unique casino visitors between Jan 1 and Sep 15, of whom 87,533 (25.1%) were 60 or older. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- People aged 60 and over accounted for 50.1% of visitors who came on 30 days or more, or 6,304 of 12,586. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Cumulative visits by people aged 60 and over rose 36.6% between 2022 and 2025. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Rep. Cha said the share of older people is far higher among long-term and repeat visitors and called on Gangwon Land to prioritise protecting them over casino revenue. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Gangwon Land or a regulator has responded to the figures or plans any change. Only the lawmaker’s office is quoted; no document carries a statement from the company or from a government body.
- Where the casino is located and what prevention or counselling programmes it already runs. Not stated in any of the documents.
- Whether the older visitors’ share will keep rising after Sep 15. The documents give data only up to Sep 15 and no projection.
- The 2022–2025 cumulative-entry figures are full-year numbers while the 41.5% share covers a partial year. The documents present both without saying whether the periods are directly comparable.
What local media are saying
Official sourcesThe state news agency carried the lawmaker’s full data release and his call for tailored prevention measures, presenting the age breakdown as a policy concern that needs an urgent response from Gangwon Land.
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Business mediaBusiness outlets led with the age breakdown and the finding that half or more of frequent visitors are 60 or older; one framed it with a headline about older people dreaming of a late-life windfall, and several paired the numbers with warnings about gambling over-involvement.
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Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes the Gangwon Land data, citing figures submitted to Rep. Cha Kyu-geun’s office. [ 1 ]
- Asia Economy reports the same figures and identifies Cha as a Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker. [ 2 ]
- Maeil Business reports the figures under a headline asking whether older visitors are chasing a late-life windfall. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Shinmun reports that half of Gangwon Land’s regulars are 60 or older. [ 4 ]
- Newsis reports that the number of older visitors to Gangwon Land has grown. [ 5 ]
- Korea Economic Daily reports that one in two long-term casino visitors is 60 or older. [ 6 ]