Korean Casino Guide for Foreign Visitors — Entry & Coupons

Before You Play: Essential Basics

Korean casinos offer a wide range of table games and electronic gaming machines. The most popular game by far is Baccarat, which accounts for over 60% of all gaming revenue in Korean casinos. This guide covers the essential rules for the four most common games you will encounter, together with the practical visitor information first-time travellers ask about most.

Important note: All Korean casinos offer free game tutorials for beginners. Simply ask at the information desk when you arrive, and a staff member will teach you the rules in English, Japanese, or Chinese.

Visiting a Korean Casino: What Tourists Need to Know

Who Can Enter

• Foreign passport holders only. With a single exception in Gangwon Province, the venues in Seoul, Busan, Incheon and Jeju admit overseas visitors and Koreans living abroad, while Korean residents are not admitted.
• Bring your original passport. A photocopy or a photo on your phone is not accepted. Registration at the entrance desk takes only a minute or two, and you may be asked for the passport again when you cash out.
• You must be 19 or older. Age checks are strict and applied to everyone, so carry your passport even if you only plan to look around the floor.
• Entry is free at most properties. Some ask you to complete a short membership registration, which is also free and takes a few minutes.

Dress Code

• Smart casual is the safe choice — a collared shirt or a neat top with trousers, jeans or a skirt is welcome everywhere.
• Slippers, flip-flops, sports sandals, vests and very short trousers may be refused at the door, particularly at hotel properties in the evening.
• Hats, sunglasses and face coverings are normally asked to be removed on the gaming floor for security reasons.
• Large backpacks and suitcases go to the cloakroom, which is free of charge at almost every venue.

Opening Hours

Most foreigner-only casinos in Korea operate 24 hours a day, throughout the year. Daytime is quiet and unhurried, which is ideal if you want to learn the games; evenings from about 20:00 are the busiest, and the minimum bet at some tables rises during peak hours. A few smaller venues pause briefly in the early morning for cleaning, so it is worth checking before you make a late-night trip.

Money and Currency Exchange

• Everything on the floor is handled in Korean won (KRW). Chips are bought at the table or at the cashier's cage and must be exchanged back before you leave.
• Most casinos have an exchange counter inside that accepts US dollars, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan and other major currencies. Rates differ from place to place, so compare them with the bank counters at the airport.
• Keep your exchange receipts. You may need them if you want to convert unused won back to your own currency before departure.
• Cash machines on the floor often work with domestic cards only. For international withdrawals, use an airport bank or a convenience store ATM that displays the Global or Plus logo.

Getting There

• From Incheon International Airport: the AREX express train reaches Seoul Station in roughly 45 minutes, and airport limousine buses stop directly at most of the hotels where casinos are located.
• In Seoul: the venues cluster around Gangnam and Samseong, and around the Itaewon and Namsan area. Both districts are a short walk from a subway station.
• In Busan and Jeju: the properties sit inside resort hotels, 15 to 30 minutes by taxi from Gimhae and Jeju airports.
• Many casinos run free shuttle buses from central hotels and from the airport. Ask your hotel concierge or check the venue's website before you set out.

On the Floor: Procedures and Etiquette

Buying Chips

1. Choose a table and read the sign showing the minimum and maximum bet before you sit down.
2. Wait until the current round has finished, then place your cash flat on the table layout. Do not hand money directly to the dealer — house rules require every transaction to happen in full view of the ceiling cameras.
3. The dealer counts the notes aloud, calls the amount to the supervisor, and slides your chips across the felt.
4. You can also buy chips at the cashier's cage before you sit down. Chip colours indicate value; ask the dealer if you are unsure which is which.

Taking a Seat

1. Ask "Is this seat open?" or gesture to the dealer. A seat holding chips or a personal item is already taken.
2. Sit down between rounds rather than in the middle of a hand.
3. Place your chips inside your own betting box or circle before the dealer announces "No more bets".
4. Once that call has been made, do not touch your chips until the round has been settled.

Cashing Out

1. Ask the dealer to colour up so that you leave the table with a few large chips instead of a tray of small ones.
2. Take the chips to the cashier's cage. Chips have no value outside the property and cannot be used anywhere else.
3. Carry your passport with you. The cage may ask to see it, and for larger amounts you will be asked to complete a short form.
4. Keep the receipt if you intend to convert your won back to your home currency at the airport.

Baccarat - Korea's #1 Casino Game

You bet on which hand will have a total closest to 9.

Blackjack - Beat the Dealer

Goal: Get a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer without going over (busting).

Roulette - The Wheel of Fortune

A ball is spun around a wheel with numbered pockets (0-36).

Slot Machines - Easy & Fun

Modern slot machines use a Random Number Generator (RNG) to determine outcomes. Each spin is completely independent — previous results have no effect on future spins.

Planning a visit? We hand out free casino coupons for foreign visitors to Korea — welcome offers, dining credits and free play chips. Browse the latest ones on our Korea casino coupon page.