China's embassy in Seoul has sent a letter to Korean media criticising casino operators that target Chinese tourists with marketing. The author is Tang Liang, the embassy's consul for consular affairs.
Tang said the embassy is 'deeply shocked' by proposals to make Chinese visitors the main client base for South Korean casinos and 'firmly opposes' the approach. He pointed out that Chinese law enforces a zero-tolerance policy on gambling and treats wagers placed by Chinese citizens abroad as illegal. The embassy called on South Korean authorities to tighten casino oversight and stop soliciting Chinese tourists. Tang's comments were published by state outlet Global Times and posted in the embassy's official WeChat account.
South Korea operates 17 foreigner-only casinos. The sector is recovering from the pandemic on the back of Asian tourist traffic. Brokerage houses have pointed to rising visitor numbers from China as a driver for further revenue. The Korea Times notes that operators still hesitate to publicly name Chinese tourists as a target audience — Beijing continues its campaign against offshore gambling advertising.
Tang announced stepped-up education efforts for Chinese tourists travelling abroad, recommending they refrain from wagering and stay within the law.
