Could Vietnam legalize prostitution in casino zones?
Joey Lim, CEO of Asian casino operator Donaco International Ltd., says his firm is more interested in building a new resort in Vietnam as the government relaxes its ban on gambling by locals. In January, Vietnam announced a three-year pilot program that will test the concept at casinos in special economic zones. Locals gambling will be permitted in Van Don in the northern province of Quang Ninh; Van Phong in the central province of Khanh Hoa; and the southern resort island of Phu Quoc. After the pilot period, the government will decide whether to continue to allow citizens to gamble at casinos.
To enter a casino, Vietnamese citizens must be 21 years old or older; have proof of regular monthly income of VN?10 million (US$450); or be subject to third-degree taxation according to the law on individual income tax. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for providing citizens with application forms to verify these conditions.
Speaking to the Star newspaper in Malaysia, Lim said the opening of a new regional airport near the Donaco’s Aristo International Hotel also would be a big plus. “In the next few years, we will be undertaking redevelopment and urban regeneration where the original Aristo was located, facing the Red River between Lao Cai and Yunnan province, China,” he said. “The redevelopment of this prime piece of property and its adjacent property will see a potential gross development value of approximately US$100 million to US$200 million.”
He added that Donaco will be launching an online gambling platform next month “via a partnership with another company, which has already developed the system. The partnership will be done following a revenue share model,” he stated.
Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Donaco also runs the Star Vegas Resort and Club in Poipet, Cambodia, which draws many customers from Thailand, where locals also are currently forbidden to gamble.
According to the Vietnam Leader, the Sun Group will invest in a casino in Van Don with a total investment of more than US$2 billion.
In related news, commercial banks in Vietnam will be allowed to trade and provide foreign exchange services related to casinos starting October 15, according to Vietnam News.
As an added attraction, the government may OK red light districts in casino zones. The Vietnam Express reports that Phung Quoc Hien, vice chairman of the legislative National Assembly, said at a meeting of the Assembly’s Standing Committee that Vietnam should consider establishing regulated red-light districts in zones where locals can gamble. In 2015, sociologists in Saigon proposed a similar plan to end sex slave trafficking. But that proposal went down to defeat.
Tran Chi Dung, the director of the tourism department in Kien Giang Province, which is home to Phu Quoc, expressed reservations about legal prostitution. “This is a sensitive matter,” Dung told the Tuoi Tre newspaper.
