Why Philippine casinos are so popular with Koreans — casino count, Korean services and a legal warning

Why Philippine casinos are so popular with Koreans — casino count, Korean services and a legal warning

A YouTuber who has lived in the Philippines for 14 years explains why Philippine casinos are popular with Koreans, how many casinos there are, how much an operator earns, government policy, the online gambling problem and Korean legal risks. He says he doesn't gamble himself and only visits casino resorts for meetings or staycations.

💡 Key takeaways

[Size of the casino industry]
• As of May 2025, 571 casinos are said to operate (527 standalone, 44 under brands).
• 228 are in Metro Manila alone, and there are about 20 major luxury resort casinos. There are also casinos in Cebu, Davao and elsewhere.
• The government agency PAGCOR runs or regulates the casinos. Foreign-funded resorts like Solaire, Okada and City of Dreams came in through licensing.
• New integrated resorts are reportedly planned in Clark, Cebu and Boracay.

[Services tailored to Koreans]
• Major resort casinos reportedly have Korean help desks, Korean-speaking dealers, Korean food and private rooms, and VIP rooms offer Korean TV, food and massage.
• He relays that if you insert your membership card at a slot machine, a Korean manager comes to look after you (he hasn't experienced it himself).
• On a staycation at a 5-star hotel in Newport resort in Manila, he ordered jokbal and bossam to his room via KakaoTalk and booked an in-room massage the same way.
• In his view, even non-gamblers can stay safely inside the resort with its hotel, mall, clubs and pool. Security-wise, he feels casinos are safer than Philippine police stations.

[Rules and cost]
• According to him, unlike Korean casinos, foreigners can enter freely with almost no restrictions such as entry hours.
• Compared with casinos in pricier countries, he thinks casino resorts and staycations are good value. But Philippine prices vary—some things are expensive—and it depends on the person.

[Solaire operator's earnings]
• Bloomberry Resorts, which runs Solaire, still made a net profit in 2024 despite opening costs for Solaire North in Quezon City and a one-off tax of about 700 million pesos (2023 net profit about 9.5 billion pesos).

[Online gambling problem]
• Online gambling grew fast after it was allowed post-pandemic, and with the e-wallet GCash linked to online casinos for instant deposits and withdrawals, addiction has become a new social issue.

[Warning for Koreans]
• Casino gambling is legal in the Philippines, but gambling abroad by Koreans can be punished under Korean law. Repeated high-stakes gambling may even count as habitual gambling.

⏱ Chapters
00:00 The Philippines and casinos; answering promotion accusations
02:03 Why Philippine casinos are popular with Koreans
03:05 How many casinos are there
04:07 Staycation experience and Korean-tailored services
05:07 Loose regulation, exchange rate and price advantages
06:08 Earnings of Solaire operator Bloomberry
07:09 Why the Philippines builds up its casino industry
09:13 GCash online gambling and Korean legal warning

💬 What viewers said (83 comments)
• The most common reaction: casino resorts are attractive but safety is the problem. One reply said it's safe inside the casino and risky outside.
• Others said English makes it easy and it beats Kangwon Land, and some shared that they just enjoy staycations at Okada or Solaire without gambling.
• Some predicted the Philippines will lose out once Japan and Thailand open casinos; others argued it will hold up thanks to nightlife and prices.
• Some regretted that the recent exchange rate and broker fees are eroding the value.