Vietnam could expand a pilot program which would allow locals to gamble in selected casinos. The Ministry of Finance would approve two more casinos and extend the pilot for another two years, according to Inside Asian Gaming,
The pilot, proposed in 2017, was set to run three years with two casinos designated for locals. Corona Resort & Casino in Phú Quốc, is currently operational with the other, located in the rural district of Van Don in Quang Ninh Province, has yet to open.
According to VietnamNet, the finance minister wants an extension to 2024 as a result of Covid-19 pandemic. Additional casinos would be located in Da Nang City and Khanh Hoa Province.
The two locations are considered prime tourist recovery areas. The country has spent VND16 trillion (US$695 million) into the related resort project in Da Nang City and around VND 25.7 trillion into the Khanh Hoa Province project, owned by hospitality giant VinPearl and including a hotel, amusement park, golf course and convention center.
As a result of the lack of business caused by the pandemic, Vietnamese casino owners had petitioned authorities to allow locals to gamble. Entry is limited to Vietnamese citizens who can prove a monthly income of at least VND10 million. They must also pay an entry tax of VND1 million per 24 hours.
In total there are nine operational casinos in Vietnam, according to Asia Gaming Brief.
