Jeju Landing Casino Poised to Become Asia’s Next Premier Poker Destination

As the poker world continues to grow rapidly across Asia, Landing Casino at Jeju Shinhwa World Resort in Jeju Island, South Korea is making bold moves to position itself as the region’s next major live poker hub. With a packed calendar of international events, an expanding poker infrastructure, and a vision that integrates lifestyle, luxury, and the poker community, Jeju Landing Casino is quickly gaining momentum, and the team behind the scenes is making sure players notice.

Jeju Rising: Landing Casino’s Poker Vision

Somuchpoker sat down with Ben Leong, CEO of Jeju Landing Casino, and Roberto Wong of Korea Poker Cup, to talk about their vision, plans, and why they believe Jeju is the next big thing in live poker. Leong shared,

Every month we host different kinds of poker events. Sometimes, we even have two in a month. We plan it around the international calendar.

Indeed, the upcoming poker lineup is proof of that planning with twelve international events scheduled for 2025. Two separate festivals have been scheduled at the Jeju Landing Casino between May 1 and May 22, 2025, followed almost immediately by Poker Dream and Triton Poker Series, two of the most prestigious tours in Asia. Leong confirmed this,

Poker Dream and Triton usually run back-to-back. There’s just one day in between, so players can rest for a day and jump right back into action. Before that, we also have the Super Cup, which is part of the Minds Event Forum in the Grand Ballroom. Koreans can play this event because it is not in the casino.

Expanding Space and Prioritizing Players

To accommodate the increasing demand, Landing Casino has been expanding its poker space, with additional tables set up in the Grand Ballroom as needed. After tournaments, the venue reverts to its usual casino layout, but the flexibility is a clear advantage. Leong emphasizes the casino’s advantages,

Most casinos don’t have the space but we do. For big international events, we can combine spaces to support up to two venues running together. That’s something even places like Macau don’t do because they fill up the floor with gaming tables. And most of the hotel rooms are filled up already with gamers.

Another edge is the Landing prioritizes poker players when it comes to hotel accommodations, especially during Jeju’s quieter months. Leong further adds,

Jeju has around five months of low season. During that time, we prioritize poker players for our hotel rooms. Even during peak times, we try to ensure they’re taken care of first. No matter the season, poker players come first. That’s our policy.

Jeju’s Global Appeal

The strategy is clearly working. In recent years, Jeju has attracted poker players from all over the world. According to Leong,

The poker events attract a lot of international players from everywhere. Last year until now, we attracted even more European players, Western players, and quite a lot from Asia. Most of them fly over here which helps the local tourism industry. In the past, most of the visitors in Jeju were South Koreans. Now that we’ve introduced poker events, the Jeju government loves it. It helps them to improve the international visitors. The exposure of Jeju Island to the region is much better than the other countries.

Thanks to Jeju’s central location, players can reach the island easily from many cities across Asia, often via direct flights.

We are the central hub, everybody can reach very easily, like South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and then Malaysia and Indonesia, and also Australia. Some may need to take the transit but most can get a direct flight to here. We are reachable in a few hours.

The destination itself also helps:

Here in Jeju, we have nice beaches, great food, excellent coffee shops, Jeju has it all. A must-do for any visitor is to shop for Korean cosmetics, especially face masks. Many of the products aren’t exported because they want you to come here to buy them. The food here is also excellent, and the coffee scene is thriving. It’s a lifestyle experience. You won’t find this combination anywhere else. And it’s incredibly safe. You can leave your phone somewhere, come back hours later, and it will still be there. That matters to players. It’s one of the safest places in Asia. That’s a big plus for international visitors.

What Sets Landing Apart?

Landing Casino is not just another poker venue, it’s part of a 2,000+ room resort complete with a water park, Michelin-quality restaurants, a high-end shopping center, and even medical facilities nearby. For golf lovers, there are eight courses in Jeju. Leong shares,

We are only 35 minutes from the airport, no traffic jams, and everything is within reach. From poker to golf to restaurants and spas, players have everything they need without ever leaving the property. We have a very good Shinsegae shopping center. We also have eight golf courses around. The whole world has 100 famous golf courses in the world, Jeju has few, but the whole of Korea has about 6 or 7 best golf courses. Golf players like to come to Jeju for our courses. We also have a variety of courts that players reserve such as basketball, badminton, football, and we have a spa, and gym. We have a lot of infrastructure supporting us.

This full-package experience is what the team believes will elevate Jeju to the next level. Wong adds in,

Vegas is known for more than its casinos. People visit for the shows, exhibitions, and concerts. We want to build Jeju’s image the same way, but for competitive poker. That’s our strategy, bring in all types of brands, we welcome everyone to host here.

Supporting the Evolution of Poker

One of the key insights the team at Landing has had is understanding the shift in player demographics. Leong shares his observations,

Most of the younger generation aren’t into traditional gaming. They prefer poker, it’s skill-based. It’s not all about luck; it’s about thinking, strategy. So we’re expanding poker because that’s where the demand is.

They’re also investing in tech integration, including RFID tables, live streaming, and mobile app compatibility for smoother operations across different organizers like Triton and WSOP that have their own apps.

Looking Ahead: A Vision for Growth

As for the future, the team at Landing is just getting started.

With every big event, we attract new players and those new players come back. They bring friends. Each festival builds on the last. Our goal is to give players an experience they want to talk about. When they go home and say, ‘That was amazing, I’m definitely coming back,’ that’s how we grow.”

And with festivals like Triton, Poker Dream, APT and more already on the calendar, and whispers of WSOP in the future, Landing Casino in Jeju is well on its way to becoming Asia’s next premier poker destination.