Jeju WanLi soft-opens on September 2: former Gongzi Casino is revived without junkets and betting on the mass market

Jeju WanLi, the foreigner-only casino property on the South Korean resort island of Jeju, will have its soft opening on September 2.

“We welcome anyone to come and give us valuable feedback,” wrote Vincent Loi, Chief Operating Officer, in a social media post. The debut comes after “nearly a year of hard and dedicated work” from the establishment’s team.

The remodeled and rebranded venue was until recently the Gongzi Casino, which suspended operations in early November 2024. According to the new project's website, the property operates under the Jeju WanLi Group and a company called Gil Sang Chang Hui LLC.

The hotel housing the casino, the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Jeju Ocean Front, had been closed for renovations since early 2025 and was scheduled to reopen this year under the Sheraton brand.

Loi had already stated that marketing for the readjusted venue is repositioning toward mass gaming segments and moving away from the junket-driven model that characterized the old Gongzi prior to the pandemic.

It is the same shift seen across Asia: promoter-brokered credit is no longer a reliable growth driver, and South Korean gaming halls—which by law may only cater to foreigners—are seeking volume in regional tourists arriving on direct flights, rather than in whales brought in by third parties.

Jeju is a distinct case within Korea: an island offering visa exemptions for a significant share of Asian visitors, with a density of foreigner-only casinos not found on the mainland. Reopening there with a mass-market focus is a bet on the recovery of air traffic from China and Southeast Asia.