Kangwon Land, the founder of Kangwon Land (pictured), the only casino resort where Koreans can gamble, was extended until 6 a.m. on Oct. 5, the temporary closure of its gaming facilities. Previously, Kangwon Land said the closure will last until Sept. 21.

The extension comes as South Korea continues to apply community measures to curb COVID-19 infections in the country.

The Kangwon Land site was first shut down in early February, around the start of the pandemic emergency. Some casinos reopened in May, but only in the VIP area, not the main building. The shutdown was reactivated on Aug. 23 amid a surge in infections across the country.

Kangwon Land expects casino sales to reach 53.9 billion won ($46.4 million) in the first half of 2020, based on average daily casino sales in the first half of 2020, from 10 a.m. on Aug. 23 to 6 a.m. on Oct. 5, it said in a filing with the Korea Exchange on Friday.

Kangwon Land Resort is about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Seoul, the capital of Kangwon Land.

South Korean authorities on Friday decided to extend it for another week, a stepped-up measure against the spread of COVID-19. The phase includes limiting indoor social gatherings to fewer than 50 people and outdoor activities to less than 100.

The government also said it plans to further tighten rules on the fall holidays, when people are traditionally reunited with their families. Social distancing policies for the Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 holiday have yet to be announced.

As of 12 a.m. on Sunday, South Korea recorded 82 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's infections to 22,975, according to a website dedicated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

BY: 슬롯머신