Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioThe South Korean casino operator Kangwon Land is set to launch the country’s first dedicated residential gambling addiction treatment center.
Per the South Korean media outlet Sisa Journal, the firm will open the doors to its facility in an initial pilot program later this month.
The operator says that the facility, named High Healing One, will be a “residential treatment facility for people with gambling problems.”
Kangwon Land said that similar programs operate in nations like the UK and the US. These overseas facilities offer people with gambling addiction “residential treatment combined with counseling and treatment programs.”
Residential programs, the operator said: “have shown greater recovery outcomes than short-term counseling.”
Gambling Addiction Treatment Center: A S. Korean First
Kangwon Land said it has partnered with the Korea Institute for Gambling Problem Prevention and Treatment for the pilot. The institute will provide addiction rehabilitation expertise.
It is also working with the Forest Healing Foundation. The foundation will provide accommodation infrastructure.
The parties will use professional counseling agencies to provide treatment. Kangwon Land said a wide range of therapies will be on offer.
These include group counseling sessions, psychological education, outdoor sessions, music therapy, yoga, and meditation.
The casino operator said it would assess the results of the pilot upon completion and “explore a model for nationwide expansion.”
Kangwon Land is the operator of High1, the only casino in the country that is allowed to admit domestic passport-holders.
Sisa Journal wrote that the government last year called on regulated gambling companies to “strengthen their accountability” in the fight against gambling addiction.
Critics Remain Skeptical
Kangwon Land has responded by launching a range of non-residential treatment and rehabilitation programs. The media outlet said that the new residential treatment facility was another follow-up measure.
Unnamed experts told Sisa Journal that the pilot is a “belated but necessary first step.”
Others claimed that Kangwon Land was “attempting to dilute criticism” by claiming that it was acting for the benefit of society.
In the US, the developers working on the Freedom Plaza casino and residential complex in New York’s Manhattan say they will build a problem gambling resource center at the site.
The Soloviev Group said last month that the center will help promote responsible gambling and provide support for people suffering from gambling addiction-related problems.
Last month, Kangwon Land said it would take legal action against the operators of a casino app that makes illegal use of its branding.
The app’s developers have reportedly used AI-powered deepfake technology to make it seem as though Kangwon Land officials and sports stars like Son Heung-min have endorsed the app.
