Poker in South Korea

The casinos and venues that host the most poker festivals in our database.

LES A Casino

Seogwipo-si, South Korea

Festivals

36

Next Festival

Oct 2026

Paradise City Incheon

Incheon, South Korea

Festivals

12

Next Festival

Oct 2026

Inspire Casino

Incheon, South Korea

Festivals

1

Next Festival

Oct 2026

Lotte Hotel Jeju

Seogwipo-si, South Korea

Festivals

1

Last Festival

Dec 2025

Swiss Grand Hotel

Seoul, South Korea

Festivals

1

Last Festival

Feb 2024

Oct 28 - Nov 112026 · 15 daysJeju Poker Festival 2026Jeju Poker FestivalSeogwipo-siLES A Casino161 eventsOngoing nowOct 30 - Nov 82026 · 10 daysThe Labyrinth Trail - GOP Incheon 2026Gods of PokerIncheonParadise City Incheon71 eventsin 1 dayOct 30 - Nov 92026 · 11 daysWPT Seoul 2026World Poker TourIncheonInspire Casino45 eventsin 1 dayDec 4 - Dec 132026 · 10 daysAJPC Samurai Circuit - Incheon 2026 III.All Japan Poker ChampionshipIncheonParadise City Incheon10 eventsin 1 monthDec 4 - Dec 132026 · 10 daysThe Olympus Return - GOP Jeju 2026Gods of PokerSeogwipo-siLES A CasinoSchedule TBACancelled

Biggest Results in the Last 12 Months

Event	Festival	Winner	Entries	Prize Pool
#10 $200k - Triton InvitationalSep 14 2026	Super High Roller Series Jeju II S5Seogwipo-si	Joao Simao	173	$34.6M
#12 $100k - NLH Main EventSep 16 2026	Super High Roller Series Jeju II S5Seogwipo-si	Nick Schulman	196	$19.6M
#10 Triton JEJU 2026 - NLH Main Event - USD 100,000Mar 26 2026	Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju S5 2026Seogwipo-si	Ben Tollerene	178	$17.8M
#12 Triton - NLH - 10th Anniversary Special - USD 150,000Mar 27 2026	Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju S5 2026Seogwipo-si	Paul Phua	81	$12.2M
#8 Triton - NLH 7-Handed - USD 125,000Mar 24 2026	Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju S5 2026Seogwipo-si	Bernhard Binder	84	$10.5M
#15 $150k - NLH - 10th Anniversary SpecialSep 17 2026	Super High Roller Series Jeju II S5Seogwipo-si	Nick Petrangelo	67	$10.1M

Casino operators may not admit Korean nationals, except Koreans who have emigrated abroad, so all casinos except Kangwon Land in Gangwon Province are for foreigners only. Foreign players need a valid foreign passport and must be 19 or older; overseas Koreans need proof of emigration or permanent residence abroad. Outside casinos, the Criminal Act punishes gambling and running gambling places, and since 27 February 2024 the Tourism Promotion Act also bans 'casino-like acts' by non-casino operators, which targets Holdem pubs that exchange chips for cash or pay prizes. Korean nationals can be prosecuted at home even for gambling in casinos abroad where it is legal.^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]}

• Kangwon Land is the only casino open to Korean residents; the other casinos (17 according to the Korea Times) admit only foreigners.
• Entry to foreigner-only casinos is free; bring your original foreign passport. Age 19+.
• Overseas Koreans need a Korean passport plus an overseas green card or emigration certificate and sign a confirmation letter.
• Holdem pubs are legal as restaurants and games for fun, but cashing out chips, rake, and tournaments that collect entry fees and pay large prizes are prosecuted; penalties for casino-like acts reach 7 years or 70 million won.
• Police ran a Holdem pub crackdown from 1 May to 31 August 2026 with informant rewards up to 50 million won; 6,285 people were arrested in such crackdowns since 2023.
• Koreans gambling abroad: fine up to 10 million won, habitual gambling up to 3 years or 20 million won.

Age: Casinos may not admit anyone under 19 under the Tourism Promotion Act; poker festivals in casinos apply the same rule.^{[1, 4, 5]}

There is no licensed online poker or online casino in South Korea. Betting on illegal gambling sites is an offence for the player under the Criminal Act, and illegal sports betting carries up to 5 years or 50 million won; the Supreme Court has held that using an overseas server does not avoid liability. Illegal sites are actively blocked: there were 14,199 blocking requests in January to August 2026, and police arrested about 5,196 people in a year-long cyber gambling crackdown to October 2025.^{[2, 10, 11, 12]}

Licensed online poker

None

Players can be prosecuted

Yes

Sites blocked

Yes

Advertising ban

Unclear

• No licensed online poker or casino operator exists.
• Players are liable: simple gambling fine up to 10 million won; habitual gambling up to 3 years.
• Illegal sports betting sites (including overseas ones) carry up to 5 years or 50 million won for users under the National Sports Promotion Act.
• 14,199 requests to block illegal gambling sites were made from January to August 2026, with reviews cut to within 24 hours.
• 3,663 people were apprehended for illegal gambling links in January to August 2026.

Visa

Many nationalities can visit South Korea without a visa; travellers from countries on the temporary K-ETA exemption list do not need a K-ETA until 31 December 2026. Check eligibility on the official K-ETA site, k-eta.go.kr.

Money

The currency is the Korean won (KRW), and festival prize guarantees are set in won. Casinos have exchange counters; check exchange details with the casino or event organiser before you travel.

Casino Entry

Entry is free, but you must be 19+ and show your original foreign passport; Korean nationals living in Korea are refused. No formal dress code at the festival casinos, but flip-flops, pyjamas, cameras and photography are not allowed.

Tax on Winnings

We have not confirmed yet how poker winnings are taxed in South Korea. Check with the venue or a tax adviser before you play for large amounts.

The legal answers rest on official sources: laws, regulators, government and courts. News and poker media are marked as secondary sources and are used for the poker scene, not as the only basis of a legal answer.

1. 1.관광진흥법 해설: 카지노사업자 금지행위 (Tourism Promotion Act explanation: casino operators' prohibited acts) - Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (Tourism Knowledge Information System), accessed October 28, 2026
2. 2.Korea faces calls to establish unified task force to combat illegal overseas gambling - The Korea Times (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
3. 3.Local casinos regain momentum as Chinese group tourists return - The Korea Times (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
4. 4.APT Incheon, South Korea 2026: Info - Asian Poker Tour (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
5. 5.APT Jeju, South Korea 2026: Info - Asian Poker Tour (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
6. 6.문화체육관광부, 홀덤펍 내 불법도박 처벌할 수 있는 법적 근거 마련 - News Seoul (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
7. 7.홀덤펍 단속 후 도박장소개설 조사, 현금 대신 시드권을 줬다면 괜찮을까요 - Cheongchul Law Firm (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
8. 8.제보하면 5000만원 준다…경찰, 홀덤펍 내 불법 도박행위 집중 단속 - Herald Business (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
9. 9.정부 합동으로 '카지노업 유사행위 금지 지침' 마련 (Guidelines prohibiting casino-like acts) - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, accessed October 28, 2026
10. 10.불법 도박사이트 이용 처벌: 소액 배팅 이용자도 처벌받을까 - LawTalk (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
11. 11.South Korean authorities arrest over 5k people in year-long cyber gambling crackdown - AGB (Asia Gaming Brief) (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
12. 12.South Korea sees 14,199 requests to block illegal gambling sites in year to August - Focus Gaming News (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
13. 13.Extension of the temporary K-ETA exemption (2026) - Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the USA, accessed October 28, 2026
14. 14.Problem gambling prevention and counselling information - Donghaeng Lottery (dhlottery), accessed October 27, 2026
15. 15.1336 helpline news report (July 2026) - Sat Economy (secondary source), accessed October 27, 2026