Nearly 50 percent of Jeju residents think that the island’s foreigner-only casinos are responsible for a surge in local crime, indicating a need for increased government regulation, according to a survey released on Friday.
In a survey conducted by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province with 1,000 islanders aged 19 and above, 49.9 percent asserted that casinos had played a role in the rise of the region’s crime rate, while 14.2 percent held a contrary view.
In South Korea, gambling is prohibited, and most casinos only admit foreign nationals. Jeju Island has eight foreigner-only casinos, all overseen by the provincial government.
Jeju is a Self-Governing Province of South Korea that has a long history of visa-free access to Chinese tourists. In the province, there are Jeju Shinhwa World casino is operated by Shin Hwa World, which is formerly known as Landing International Holdings. Jeju also has another integrated resort called the Jeju Dream Tower resort, which the Korean Exchange-listed Lotte Tour operates.
According to the reports, the inaugural survey on islanders’ views of casinos took place between October and November last year. It did not elaborate on why participants associated casino operations with an increase in crime.
Over half, or 51.4 percent, felt that there should be stronger state regulation of casinos, while 27.3 percent expressed the opinion that the industry needs more government support.
In contrast, around four out of 10 surveyed islanders believed that casinos contribute to attracting more foreign travelers and increasing tourist expenditure, with 33.7 percent stating that the industry helps create jobs.
