After years of operation, Corona Casino Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) has become an international-scale entertainment and tourism destination, contributing thousands of billions of VND to the local budget.
Specifically, the Resolution allows eligible Vietnamese citizens to enter and play at the Phu Quoc Casino (in Kien Giang Province) starting from November 26, 2025.
Additionally, a pilot program permits eligible Vietnamese citizens to play at Ho Tram Casino (Ho Chi Minh City) for a period of 5 years from November 26, 2025, and at Van Don Casino (Quang Ninh Province) for 5 years from the date of issuance of the Casino Business Eligibility Certificate.
The Resolution clearly states that the management of eligible Vietnamese citizens entering casinos, as well as the operation and management of casino businesses at these projects, will follow the provisions of Decree No. 03/2017/NĐ-CP dated January 16, 2017, issued by the Government regarding casino business, or any amended or supplementary documents. Upon completion of the pilot period, Ho Tram and Van Don casinos will cease allowing eligible Vietnamese citizens to play until further conclusions are made by competent authorities as per the casino business laws.
To date, Vietnam has licensed 9 casino projects, but only about half are operational. The largest is Corona Casino Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), developed by Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Joint Stock Company. This casino is part of a complex with a total investment of over 50,000 billion VND, featuring 1,470 gaming machines and 147 gaming tables across an area of more than 18,000 square meters, designed to international standards. Corona is also the first and only casino in Vietnam allowed to pilot Vietnamese citizens’ participation. After years of operation, Corona has become an international-scale entertainment and tourism hub, contributing thousands of billions of VND to the local budget.
As for Ho Tram Casino, it is part of the Ho Tram Complex Resort and Entertainment (formerly Ba Ria – Vung Tau), with a total investment of over 4.2 billion USD. The project is developed by Ho Tram Project Company Limited, a subsidiary of Asian Coast Development (USA). Ho Tram Casino covers an area of 5,000 square meters, offering 90 traditional games and hundreds of electronic machines. After a prolonged challenging period, the casino now operates stably, attracting a large number of international tourists, particularly from South Korea and China.
The Van Don Casino project (Quang Ninh) was once expected to become the largest entertainment center in the North, with a total investment of over 2 billion USD. Initially proposed by Genting Group (Malaysia), the project faced setbacks when Genting withdrew from the 4 billion USD Nam Hoi An Complex (Quang Nam), which included an entertainment area for foreigners. Genting also announced it would not pursue other projects in Vietnam. Since then, several international investors have surveyed and explored investment opportunities in Van Don, including Las Vegas Sands (USA), Phoenix Macau Tailoi (Macau, China), Westar Investment Fund (Australia), and ISC Group (Australia). After years of stagnation, the project shows signs of revival as the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee recently approved Sun Group’s Van Don Sun Company as the investor, offering hope for its resumption after years of delay.
In 2016, the Politburo allowed a pilot program for Vietnamese citizens to play at casinos in Phu Quoc and Van Don for 3 years. However, only Phu Quoc Casino began operations in January 2019. According to Decree No. 03/2017/NĐ-CP, the pilot program was extended until January 2022.
In 2022, the Ministry of Finance proposed to the Government and the Politburo to extend the pilot program at Phu Quoc Casino by 2 years, until the end of 2024. The Ministry cited the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on casino operations, resulting in shorter pilot periods and less-than-expected outcomes.
In May 2024, the Politburo concluded by approving the extension of the pilot program for Vietnamese citizens to play at Phu Quoc Casino until the end of 2024.
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