Kangwon Land is a South Korean casino and resort company based in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The company develops abandoned mines, and builds gaming and entertainment facilities.[1] Kangwon Land operates a number of game tables and slot machines for domestic and international customers under its gaming licenses.[2]
History
Kangwon province, where Kangwon Land is located, was well known as a coal mining area. It once experienced a "coal rush" when coal was used as a major national energy source during the 1970s to 1980s. The Kangwon province had experienced devastating economic downturns since coal was replaced by gas and oil in the 90s. The Korean government tried to introduce several alternatives to revitalize the local economy, but the community repeatedly and vigorously requested a domestic casino, and it became authorized in December 1995.[3]
In October 2000, when Kangwon Land first opened to Korean citizens as well as to international tourists, it had one hotel with 199 rooms and a casino that had only 30 table games and 480 slot machines.