Jeju WanLi Casino Soft Opening September 2

Kyle Kevin

iGaming Writer

Fact Checked

A former junket casino on Jeju Island is reopening as a mass-market venue targeting players in their 20s and 30s. That demographic already makes up more than half the island’s casino traffic.

Jeju WanLi Casino will open its doors on September 2 after nearly a year of renovation work, marking the rebirth of a property that shut as Gongzi Casino in November 2024. The venue sits on Jeju Island, South Korea’s premier holiday destination and home to eight foreigner-only casino licences. Vincent Loi, the property’s chief operating officer, announced the soft launch date in a social media post and invited visitors to provide feedback. The reopening is not a simple relaunch. It is a strategic pivot. The former Gongzi Casino relied on junket-driven VIP play, a model that collapsed across Asia following pandemic-era disruptions and China’s sustained crackdown on cross-border gambling. Jeju WanLi is betting on mass-market players instead. Specifically, young ones.

The September 2 Soft Opening

The soft opening on September 2 will operate as a preview phase. Loi’s social media post framed it as a chance for early visitors to shape the final product. That approach is common in hospitality relaunches, but less typical for casinos, where regulatory sign-off usually precedes any public access. The property is owned by Jeju WanLi Group in partnership with Gil Sang Chang Hui LLC, according to the revamped website. The hotel housing the casino has undergone its own transformation. The Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Jeju Ocean Front closed for refurbishment in early 2025. It is scheduled to reopen this year under the Sheraton brand, a significant upgrade in the Wyndham portfolio. The casino and hotel renovations ran in parallel. Loi told GGRAsia last month that the relaunch was likely within the third quarter. The September 2 date hits that window. The property’s gaming floor will feature products aimed at “young players,” a term Loi used to describe the core target demographic. That positioning reflects a broader shift across Jeju’s casino sector, where operators are recalibrating away from high-roller dependency toward volume-driven mass play.

From Gongzi Casino to Jeju WanLi

Gongzi Casino suspended operations in early November 2024. At the time, it was one of several Jeju properties struggling with the post-pandemic collapse of Chinese junket tourism. The junket model had sustained Jeju’s foreigner-only casinos for years. Operators paid commissions to middlemen who brought high-net-worth players from mainland China. China’s crackdown on cross-border gambling, combined with travel restrictions and geopolitical tensions, gutted that pipeline. Gongzi Casino did not survive the transition. The property sat dark for months while ownership restructured. The Jeju WanLi Group acquired or partnered on the asset, and Gil Sang Chang Hui LLC came in as a co-investor. The rebranding is total. New name, new positioning, new hotel flag. Loi’s interview with GGRAsia made clear the marketing reset was deliberate. The junket era was over for this property. The new model needed to stand on its own without VIP volume. That meant building a product and experience that attracted walk-in mass players, particularly the younger travellers who now dominate Jeju’s visitor mix.

Why Young Players Drive the Pivot

The data justifies the pivot. According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, visitors in their 20s and 30s accounted for 51.3 percent of total Jeju casino patronage in 2025. That is up from 47.9 percent in 2024, a 3.4 percentage point jump in a single year. More than half the island’s casino traffic now comes from millennials and Gen Z. That shift is structural, not seasonal. Younger travellers to Jeju are increasingly from South Korea itself, Southeast Asia, and other markets that do not rely on junket infrastructure. They book online, travel independently, and spend differently than the high-roller cohort of the past. Loi called this segment “increasingly important” in Jeju’s mass-market casino business. The property’s gaming product mix will reflect that. Younger players typically favour electronic table games, lower minimum bets, and social gaming experiences over traditional baccarat pits with high limits and formal atmosphere. The Sheraton rebrand aligns with this demographic too. The hotel’s upgraded amenities, modern design, and global loyalty programme appeal to younger travellers who prioritise Instagram-worthy experiences and brand recognition.

The Jeju Casino Landscape

Jeju Island holds eight foreigner-only casino licences, though not all venues have operated continuously. The market has contracted since its pre-pandemic peak. Several properties closed or suspended operations as Chinese tourism dried up. The survivors are adapting. Grand Korea Leisure’s Jeju casino, part of the state-backed operator’s portfolio, has maintained operations but shifted marketing focus. Other properties have pursued similar mass-market repositioning. The island’s appeal as a domestic holiday destination has grown. Direct flights from Southeast Asian cities have expanded. The casino sector is trying to capture that diversified traffic. However, competition is fierce. Eight licences for a single island creates oversupply, particularly when the VIP segment that once filled multiple floors has shrunk. Jeju WanLi’s September opening adds another player to that crowded field. Its advantage is the Sheraton hotel anchor and the explicit youth targeting. Its risk is timing. The property is entering a market where several competitors have already pivoted to mass play. Differentiation will depend on execution, not just positioning. Loi’s invitation for feedback suggests the soft opening is a genuine testing phase. The property may adjust its gaming mix, service standards, and marketing based on early visitor response before a full launch.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.