GGRAsia – Vietnamese casino gamblers face wage test: report

Vietnamese casino gamblers face wage test: report

Jan 16, 2017 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck

If Vietnamese are to be allowed to gamble in some of the country’s casinos they will need to earn the equivalent of at least US$440 per month, be aged 21 or over, and face no objection from family members.

That is according to a report by the VN Express media outlet. It quoted the draft decree as the source of the information.

It said local players aged 21 or more would need to have what it termed a “stable” monthly income of VND10 million (US$443) or more in order to be allowed to enter casinos in the country.

“Those whose family members, including parents, spouses or children, believe that they should not gamble will also be barred. These family members can send a letter to notify casinos and request a ban,” said the news outlet.

It also mentioned the possibility of imposing on locals an an entry fee for 24-hour access or a larger entry fee for monthly access.

Following a meeting in December between officials of the northern province of Quang Ninh and Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, it had been reported in the country’s media that a three-year trial period would be held regarding locals gambling.

Two casino resorts were mentioned for the pilot scheme – one in the Van Don Special Economic Zone in Quang Ninh, and the other on the southern resort island of Phu Quoc. Both casinos are said to be under construction, with no scheduled opening date for either having been reported so far.

VN Express also reported on Saturday – as have other media outlets previously – that the draft decree has also eased capital requirements for casino investors, lowering the spending threshold on a new casino resort from US$4 billion to US$2 billion.

According to tradingeconomics.com, quoting its own research and figures from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the average monthly wage in that country in the first quarter 2016 was VND5.08 million – described as an all-time high as of that date.

The website added that the number of employed people in Vietnam stood at just over 53.2 million in the second quarter of 2016.

First Alliances, a Vietnam-based human resources consultancy, said in its Vietnam 2016 Salary Guide that junior white-collar workers in industries such as accountancy and banking – in the capital Hanoi or the major southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City – could expect to receive gross monthly salaries in the range of US$300 to US$700.