The province is working on to introduce the casino license renewal policy to better control the casino industry and boost its contribution to the local community.
Todd Thacker reports.

[slug] Eight casinos in Jeju have operated for decades
There are a total of eight casinos on Jeju Island and these have been in operation for between 24 and 40 years, or longer.
As sales have been sluggish recently, some establishments became involved in illicit activities like illegal currency exchange and prostitution.
 
[slug] Poor supervision of casinos led to improprieties
One reason for this disturbing trend in the gaming industry is a lack of supervision on the part of local authorities.
In the last decade there have been more than 20 cases of administrative punishments imposed on local casinos.

[slug] Province revising casino license policy
The province is now revising its casino business license policy, replacing permanent licenses with those that are subject to regular renewal.


A casino owner will be obliged to apply for renewal permission every five years.
If one receives a poor evaluation, the province will be able to cancel their business license.

Revision Bill Jeju Special Act
Casino License Ordinance
-License renewal every 5 years
-Based on evaluation results, license can be canceled



It was the provincial council that suggested the need for a license renewal system. The province subsequently added it to the revision bill of the Jeju Special Act.

[slug] Jeju Special Act revision bill includes casino license renewal system

Recording
Kim Myeong-ok / Representative, Province
Among 16 casinos in the nation, eight are located in Jeju. Jeju will impose stricter regulations against the loca casino industry unlike other parts of the country.
<씽크:김명옥 특별자치제도추진단장>
"전국 16개 카지노 중에서 8개가 있는 특별한 지역이어서 난립을 방지하고 다른 지역은 규제를 완화하고 있지만 규제를 두면서 철저하게 관리해서.."

[slug] Based on evaluation results, license can be revoked
Once the renewal system is introduced, a casino business will be evaluated on the following: the number of tourists the business attracts, its financial contribution to the local economy, and its financial status and stockholders’ credit ratings.
If a business fails to meet these criteria, its license will be revoked.

In the past, a similar casino license renewal system was proposed by the province, but the national government rejected the proposal on the grounds of parity with other regions.

[slug] Seoul is likely to greenlight license renewal system
However, this year there is a good chance that Seoul will greenlight the revision bill. The Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have reportedly reached an agreement on the need for the system.

[Reporter] Todd Thacker
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon
[CG] So Gi-hun
 
Along with the introduction of the license renewal system, the province is pushing forward with a prior permission system for ownership transfer and the establishment of a supervisory commission.
It is hoped these policies will enhance the province's oversight and boost the competitiveness of local casino businesses.

Todd Thacker, KCTV