Tourism boards across Asia and the Middle East are increasingly viewing integrated resorts as a way to capture travelers who want gambling, accommodation, dining, entertainment, and MICE experiences in one destination. These properties, anchored by casinos but complemented by a wide array of interactive amenities, are becoming a major focus for destination marketing and regulatory modernization as leisure travel trends shift.

21 September 2026

Rising gaming demand is not just reviving standalone casinos, but rather accelerating the growth of resort-style, mixed-use tourism hubs - pushing governments to back integrated resort (IR) development and reform regulations. Tourism boards are increasingly depicting IRs as future economic engines, expected to attract high-spending international visitors and generate substantial revenues.

Gaming as One Piece of the Experience

Integrated resorts bundle gaming with other services in a way that standalone casinos cannot match. In Singapore, for instance, gaming facilities occupy just a fraction of the total square footage in the city-state's Bayfront and Sentosa resorts. Developments in the region have been successful in making a wide appeal beyond gaming, with niche casino-goers accounting for a minority of the visitor demographics.

World Travel Market experts have emphasized that gaming is just one component of this emerging model, with equal emphasis on art, music, farm-to-table dining, wellness, and immersion in local storytelling. That is the dominant narrative, from Ras Al Khaimah to the Philippines. PAGCOR, the Philippines' gaming regulator, reported that its sector's gross gaming revenues doubled from US$3.75 billion in 2022 to US$6.5 billion in 2024. However, the chairman said PAGCOR was simultaneously tightening gaming-related advertising and outreach while emphasizing IRs' tourism role.

South Korea's Casino Strategy

South Korea's tourism industry is caught in a broader debate over whether push into IRs will prove a successful strategy. The country's goal is to surpass 30 million annual inbound tourists; but it's not clear how much integrated resorts can drive that growth. Supporters say IRs would help Korea keep pace with the Osaka pipeline and the region's other IR hubs, such as Jeju Shinhwa World and Paradise City.

Paradise City, the first IR in Incheon to be part of South Korea's push into casino resorts, opened in 2017. Following up in 2018, Jeju Shinhwa World has been praised as a confident follow-up, setting a model for vertical integration. Inspire Entertainment, a subsidiary of Jeju Shinhwa World's parent company, debuted in March 2024.

Critics, however, caution against pursuing growth for growth's sake. Seo Won-suk of Kyung Hee University has noted the importance of quality control as Korea competes with its larger regional neighbors. Korea's recent regulatory reforms appear to reflect this concern, as it seeks to attract investment without sacrificing the values that define the country's tourism brand.

The Middle East Emerging as a Gaming Magnet

The UAE's Wynn Al Marjan Island is the region's most prominent example, set to debut in 2027 and described as a tourism transformer for Ras Al Khaimah. Closely following is Inspiria, a $840 million resort being developed in Al Wasl. Experts expect the UAE's annual gross gaming revenue to reach between $3 billion and $5 billion, as tourism and IR growth go hand-in-hand.

In the process, the UAE can potentially outflank Saudi Arabia as it writes its expansion plans. The kingdom has already announced plans for Al Hikma Resort in Moawen, Qassim - a 100,000 square meter resort with 25 gaming tables, 100 slots and 300 rooms. But its bigger integrated resorts are much farther out and smaller in scale.

The UAE's lead rests on its pitch to foreigners, with Arabia Travel Market experts arguing the country is well-suited to gambling tourism on several fronts. Primarily, it has a strong English-speaking population, making communication easier. Additionally, compelling attractions for foreign tourism include AlUla and Liwa (desert and mountain areas).

Policies and Regulation

However, public policy is not merely about growth. It needs to match the local culture and customers' preferences. In the Philippines' instance, PAGCOR says its role is to modernize the sector and promote tourism and local employment, not supercharge the gaming economy. It's thus modernizing casino licenses and operations while limiting visibility of gaming-advertising especially among locals. Moreover, it's cracking down on casino investments from offshore China.

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In Korea, proponents say new IRs are a novel way of capturing gaming money without unnecessarily encouraging it. Cultural exports are also a major driver here. More tourists flocking to Korea means they'll expect to have contact with Korean culture, language and cuisine - and the gaming sector could plug that pipeline especially for Korean entrepreneurs.

That has led to limited regulatory easing in Korea, as officials seek to make the country more competitive in the regional IR market. But there is lingering fear among some policymakers and advocacy groups that broader liberalization could lead to a regression in oversight - jeopardizing some of the desired outcomes in the effort.

Pure Politics Playing Out

Consequently, policymaking in Korea and the Philippines is tactful and has been designed to support tourism and the larger economy, but not necessarily quantifiable growth at all costs. Organizers in Singapore and others also hinted at responsibility as they explained the IR boom.

It's a delicate balance, but one that reflects the priorities of tourism boards and host countries. Figures suggest gaming-focused IRs are driven by tourism more than pure gaming. Market froth from China supports it, but revenue can slow when regulations and visitor packages are in flux.

In South Korea, for example, experts say new casino laws may be motivated by a sense of competition with Japan - not broader growth targets in gaming. This, in turn, resonates with the country's brand. Lotte Hotel, which runs the Jeju Shinhwa resort, argues its focus is on higher-end customers who can afford luxury travel packages around premium leisure experiences.

Overall, a large share of Korean IR customers will be tourists, the company says. That in turn may help Korea maximize economic growth while minimizing gaming risks.

Near-Term Impact and Outlook

The integrated resort boom has broad stakes for tourism boards as they compete for leisure travelers. PAGCOR has emphasized the role of IRs in the Philippines' tourism recovery and economic diversification. It noted that its sector's revenues more than doubled to US$6.5 billion in 2024 - the culmination of several years of development of IR properties including PAGCOR's own Casino Filipino brands.

In the Middle East, similar predictions call for a tourism surge as well as significant gaming revenues. Experts expect the UAE's gaming-focused IRs to contribute between 3 billion and 5 billion dollars per year. Even outside of gaming income, tourism boards are bullish that the sheer size of the new properties, as well as allied attractions, will lead significant tourism growth.

Korea's outlooks are more tempered, but again the emphasis is on tourism rather than gaming metrics. Its new IRs target an uptick in inbound tourism, via considerable infrastructure investment in its coastal regions. When it announced plans for Jeju Shinhwa and Paradise City, it estimated they would attract 3.5 million new visitors to South Korea in their first year.