Grand Korea Leisure Expands Junket Search to Support 2030 Revenue Goal

Grand Korea Leisure Co Ltd is recruiting junket partners, which it describes as “VIP gaming partners,” as part of its effort to support its gambling business and move toward a KRW503.8 billion ($334.4 million) annual revenue target by 2030. The foreigner-only casino operator said it is also looking at markets where direct marketing is difficult, including emerging markets.

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Partner Recruitment

GKL confirmed to GGRAsia that it is working to bring in junkets for its casino operations. The company had earlier said in a brief statement that it was looking for VIP gaming partners to build the future together.

A company representative said the move is part of efforts to reach the 2030 revenue goal set out in its corporate-value enhancement scheme, known as the Value-up Plan, which was filed with the Korea Exchange on March 26. The spokesperson said GKL is targeting places where direct marketing is difficult, though no specific locations were named.

The company also said it is interested in attracting clients from emerging markets. The term generally refers to countries or regions where economic growth is often faster than in developed markets. According to the representative, GKL has already recruited some junkets, and the current drive is meant to enhance transparency and fairness for its VIP partners.

Company Background

GKL is part of the Korea Tourism Organization, which is connected with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of South Korea. The company runs three casinos only for foreigners with brands named Seven Luck, two in Seoul and one in Busan.

The operator’s latest move comes as it continues to position its casino business for longer-term growth. By reaching out to junket partners, GKL appears to be widening its customer recruitment strategy while keeping its focus on its existing foreigner-only casino model.

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Recent Results

According to the full year of 2025 results, group sales amounted to nearly KRW422.95 billion, representing an increase of 6.7% compared to the year before. The numbers mean that the company had a profitable year in terms of growth despite the latest signs of weakening shown in the last month of sales data.

In March, GKL posted KRW31.98 billion in casino sales, which is 16.0% less compared to February when the number was KRW38.08 billion. On a year-to-date comparison, casino sales in March were reduced by 22.8%. Thus, the company had a weak month in terms of revenues in the casino segment, although focusing on future sales.

Overall, such a difference between the results means that the company tries to reach a broader audience. The recruitment of junket partners appears to be one part of that effort.

Operating Response

Recently, towards the end of last month, the organization announced that it had put in place a company task force that would examine strategies on how to respond operationally to escalating oil costs and energy supply risks as a result of unrest in the Middle East region. This indicates that the company is also looking into other aspects of operation that may be pressuring them.

The junket push and formation of the company task force indicate a more general strategy being employed by GKL to promote its business development.

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Source: GGR Asia