The casino operators of South Korea are taking a strikingly different approach than the rest of the world when it comes to handling the coronavirus shutdown. The world’s casinos have shut down because of social distancing measures and advisories against large gatherings by the government. However, Korean casinos will swing their doors open to interested gamblers.

What’s happening in South Korea?

Paradise Co Ltd, a foreigner-only casino operator in Korea announced on Monday that it is reopening three of its gaming properties in Busan, Seoul, and Incheon. All three properties have been closed for weeks because of coronavirus. They reopened a casino on Jeju Island last week.

Its rival operator Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) has gone the opposite way and announced the extension of the shutdowns for three of its foreigner-only properties. The company runs three Seven Luck-branded casinos, which are now slated to reopen on May 7 after seven weeks of shutdown.

Kangwon Land, the largest casino in South Korea has also shutdown since February 23. Last week, the property announced that it will also extend its closure till May 4. The company previously expected to bear a $240 million loss in revenue if it remained closed till April 20.

South Korean efforts are reaping results

The government has been working around the clock to contain the spread of COVID-19. It has opened hundreds of testing facilities and is contact tracing all infected individuals. On Monday, it announced 13 new cases of the infection which suggests great success in flattening the curve. The number of active cases in mid-March was 8k, which has decreased to just 2k as of recent figures. The daily death average has also gone down to just 2 for the past few days.

Kangwon is unique compared to GKL and Paradise, as it serves locals. However, foreigner-only casinos do not follow a singular reopening strategy. It is unclear why GKL is not opening its doors for business when its rival is. The company could likely be taking sure and steady steps to ensure the safety of its workers and premises.