Some South Korean casino operators are back banging their heads against the wall after new pandemic restrictions were imposed on their operations.

On Wednesday, South Korean media reported that local authorities had imposed new restrictions on public gatherings in several regions, effective at 12:01am Thursday (19). The affected areas including the capital Seoul, the city of Gyeonggi, Gwangju province and parts of Gangwon-do province. The city of Incheon will reportedly follow suit at midnight on Nov. 23.

The new ‘step 1.5’ restrictions vary according to the type of gathering, with some facilities allowed to operate at between 30-50% of normal capacity. However, casinos and race-betting operations (bicycle, boat or horse) will be limited to just 20% of capacity, dealing yet another body blow to the local gambling industry.

Two of the three Seven Luck-branded casinos operated by Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) are in Seoul, while Paradise Co Ltd operates one casino in Seoul and another in Incheon. The latter is Paradise City, currently South Korea’s only major integrated resort, which has already dealt with not one but two complete shutdowns due to COVID-19.