Vietnam locals-play pilot confirmed to year-end: report

Nov 06, 2024 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck  

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There has been official confirmation that Vietnam’s so-far only pilot scheme allowing economically-qualified locals to gamble, is to be extended until the end of this year.

That is according to local news outlet VNExpress, citing a government decree. It applies to Corona Resort and Casino (pictured). A news report from VietNamNet in August, had said the authorities were minded to keep the locals scheme running until at least the end of the calendar year.

Corona Resort and Casino, on Vietnam’s holiday island Phu Quoc, in Kien Giang province, opened in January 2019. Its launch marked the start of the locals pilot scheme.

For Vietnam citizens to be able to use the casino, they must be over 21, and have a monthly income of at least VND10 million (about US$394, currently).

An original 2017 decree for a locals pilot scheme had been due to be valid initially for three years. The scheme was not begun until Corona Resort’s 2019 launch. In Tuesday’s report, VNExpress said the Corona Resort pilot had been extended once, and now again.

The report cited Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance, saying Corona Resort’s casino had posted VND6.4 trillion in revenue between 2019 and 2023, with one-third of that, generated in 2023 alone. The venue had posted an accumulated loss amounting to VND3.7 trillion by the end of 2023, according to the information cited.

Another casino resort scheme in the country – the Van Don project, yet to open, and in Quang Ninh province – will also allowed to have a pilot role as a locals casino for a three-year period once it receives an “operations permit”, the report also mentioned.

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