SiGMA Asia´s exclusive retreat for the land-based sector brought together 50 VIPs from leading land-based brands, including suppliers, and casino managers, for a three-day immersive experience at the newly inaugurated Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon, South Korea.

Kangwon Land, the operator of South Korean only casino open to local citizens, dropped by its daily trading limit in Seoul trading ahead of an announcement of the government’s plan to control gambling. Kangwon Land dropped 15 %, or USD 1,418 to USD 8,131, as of 10:26 a.m. local time, the most since September 2. The benchmark Kospi stock index declined 1.5 %. The government plans to limit total annual revenue of the gambling industry, including horse racing, lottery tickets and casinos, to 0.58 % of gross domestic product...

South Korean online gaming market will exceed USD 1.7 billion by 2009, driven by new releases and a fervent gaming culture. Pearl Research’s Games Market in Korea paper highlighted sophisticated information technology infrastructure and the fact that 80 % households are connected to the Internet. The study revealed that 67 % of people in South Korea between the ages of 20-30 paid for online content, with 91 % buying music and the 39 % purchasing community and avatar items for online services.

(Bloomberg) -- Kangwon Land Inc., the operator of South Korea's only casino open to local citizens, fell the most in almost seven years in Seoul trading after the government announced plans to double the casino tax next year. Kangwon Land dropped by the daily limit of 15 percent to 15,950 won, the biggest drop since Oct. 24, 2001. Rival Paradise Co. declined 15 percent to 2,085 won, the lowest since November 2002.