South Korea opens tourism fund facility loans to casino construction

South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revised tourism fund loan rules to make casinos eligible for facility loans for construction and expansion. The revised guidelines allow loans of up to KRW15 billion for new construction or expansion and KRW8 billion for renovations, alongside existing working-capital support. The change applies from the fourth-quarter loan round, which began accepting applications on 31 August; an industry official said discussions over higher casino contributions and licence renewals remain a concern.