The Grand Ho Tram

Who can enter: Vietnamese citizens and foreign visitors

The Grand Ho Tram takes both foreign visitors and Vietnamese citizens, but the two groups arrive through different doors, figuratively speaking.

Foreign visitors have the simpler path. If you entered Vietnam legally, you can play. That principle runs across Vietnamese gambling generally: lottery rules state that foreigners who enter Vietnam legally may participate, and the same logic applies at the casino cage⁴. Bring your passport. It is your ID, your age check and your proof of legal entry all in one document.

Vietnamese citizens are the newer story. For years, Vietnamese citizens could not walk into a domestic casino as ordinary players. That changed for this property under a pilot that allows eligible Vietnamese citizens to enter the casino at the Ho Tram project for five years, starting November 26, 2025³. The pilot is specific to certain projects, and Ho Tram is one of them.

Eligibility is not automatic just because you hold a Vietnamese ID. The pilot covers "eligible" citizens, and eligibility comes with conditions on income and paperwork. The practical effect is that a Vietnamese citizen who wants to play should check the current requirements before making the trip, because the documents you need go beyond a simple ID card.

One timing point matters. At the end of the pilot period, the Ho Tram and Van Don casino projects must stop allowing eligible Vietnamese citizens to enter until a competent authority issues conclusions in line with the law on casino business operations³. In plain terms, the arrangement has an expiry date and a review. If you are a Vietnamese citizen planning a visit, the pilot is running now, but it is not permanent.

If you are comparing options across the country, our guide to casinos in Vietnam sets out who can go in where, and the Vietnam gambling overview covers the wider picture.

Entry rules: documents, age checks and dress code

Entry at The Grand Ho Tram is a document check first and a dress check second.

Visitors must present valid identification documents and satisfy the age requirements, and identity and document checks are performed at the entrance¹. This is not a formality. Staff verify identification to confirm age, and only guests who meet the legal age requirement are permitted to enter the casino area¹. If your ID is expired, damaged or a photocopy, expect a problem.

For Vietnamese players, the document list is longer. You need a valid National Citizen Identity Card (CCCD) or passport to verify identity, plus the other qualifying financial or administrative papers required by current regulations¹. Vietnamese casino players more broadly must carry documents proving they are allowed to play under the relevant decree provisions². In practice, that means bringing originals and being ready to show more than one document.

Foreign visitors should carry their passport. It answers the age question and the nationality question at once, and it is the document staff will ask for.

On dress, smart casual or formal attire is generally preferred¹. Visitors should avoid overly casual clothes, slippers or inappropriate outfits¹. Think of it as a nice restaurant standard rather than a beach bar: no flip-flops, no tank tops, no swimwear. There is no published dress code document with a list of banned items, so use judgment. If you are coming straight from the beach at Ho Tram, change first.

The casino operates 24/7, so there is no closing time to plan around¹. You can arrive in the morning, the afternoon or the middle of the night. Weekend evenings are busiest, and the entrance check moves slower when a crowd builds.

Games: 90+ live tables and 500 machines across mass and VIP gaming areas

The gaming floor is large by Vietnamese standards. The casino currently features more than 90 live tables, along with approximately 500 modern slot machines¹.

The table games on offer are the regional staples, and all of the following are available¹:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Sic Bo
• Texas Hold'em

If you have played in Macau, Singapore or Manila, the lineup will look familiar. Baccarat is the volume game across Asia, and Texas Hold'em is the poker option for players who prefer a skill game.

Slot players get roughly 500 machines to choose from¹. Denominations and game themes vary across the floor, so it is worth a walk around before you commit to a seat.

The casino does not publish its table minimums. Minimums shift with the table, the game and how busy the floor is, and VIP rooms set their own limits. As a regional reference, high roller baccarat and blackjack tables at Philippine licensed casinos can carry minimums of HKD 5,000 per hand in Hong Kong dollar play or USD 500 per hand in US dollar play⁵. That is a Philippine figure, not a Ho Tram one, but it tells you the order of magnitude at the top end of Asian high-limit play. For the actual minimum at the table you want, ask the dealer or the pit staff before you sit down. Nobody will think it is a strange question.

If you want to understand the games before you go, our pages on table games at Vietnam's casinos and baccarat in Vietnam walk through how each one works.

Mass and VIP gaming areas: 2,936 sqm and 2,500 sqm

The Grand Ho Tram splits its floor into a mass gaming area and a VIP area, and the two feel different.

The Pearl Room is the prominent VIP area at The Grand Casino Ho Tram, designed exclusively for customers who prefer a quiet and elite environment, with private gaming tables and a strictly limited number of players¹. If you want space, quieter tables and more attention from staff, this is the section to ask about. Access usually comes with higher table minimums, so ask what applies before you commit.

The mass floor is where most visitors play. It holds the bulk of the 90-plus tables and the slot machines, and it runs around the clock¹. It is louder, busier and more social. On weekend nights, the popular baccarat tables fill up and you may need to wait for a seat.

For scale, the resort's gaming areas are described in square meters in the operator's own material, with the mass and VIP sections sized separately. The practical takeaway for a visitor is simpler than the numbers: there is enough floor that you will find a table at your level, and enough separation that a high-limit player and a first-timer on a modest budget are not competing for the same seat.

If you are weighing Ho Tram against other Vietnamese options, Hoiana Casino and Hoiana Resort & Golf are the main central Vietnam alternatives, and Corona Casino Phu Quoc is the southern island option with its own entry rules. Our new and planned casinos in Vietnam page tracks what else is coming.

Responsible gaming safeguards and self-exclusion

The Grand Ho Tram does not publish a detailed responsible gaming program on its own site, so the practical guidance here comes from how the region handles the same issues.

Self-exclusion is the main tool. In Singapore, patrons who feel that relatives or they themselves are developing a problem with gaming can apply to be excluded from the premises⁶. The same concept exists across Asia: a player asks to be barred, and the operator enforces it. If you feel your play is getting away from you, asking to be excluded is a normal step, not an embarrassing one.

Operators in the region also run patron education and help services, and provide assistance to patrons who seek help on responsible gaming matters or display signs of problem gambling⁷. Staff on the floor are trained to notice, and help services exist beyond the casino floor.

Some jurisdictions go further. Korea's Sportstoto operator has developed services including self-diagnosis for gambling-indulged players and self-exclusion⁸. Self-exclusion schemes also cover jackpot machine rooms at private clubs in some markets⁹. The mechanics differ, but the principle is the same everywhere: you can ask to be kept out, and the operator will keep you out.

For a visitor to Ho Tram, the practical points are these. Set a budget before you walk in and treat it as spent money. Take breaks. Do not chase losses with money you need for the trip home. If you want to stop entirely, ask casino staff about exclusion or contact the resort on (+84) 254 378 8022¹.

Location and getting there from Ho Chi Minh City

The Grand Casino Ho Tram sits at Ho Tram Hamlet, Ho Tram Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, in what was formerly Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province¹. The address reflects Vietnam's recent provincial reorganization, so older maps and older booking sites may still say Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Both refer to the same place.

The drive from Ho Chi Minh City takes about 2 to 2.5 hours¹. That is the operator's own estimate, and it assumes normal traffic. Leaving the city on a Friday afternoon or a public holiday eve can add time, so build in a buffer if you have a table booking or a dinner reservation.

The route runs southeast from the city toward the coast, past Long Thanh and Ba Ria, then along the coast road to Ho Tram. Most visitors arrive by car, private transfer or resort shuttle. If you are not driving yourself, arrange the transfer in advance through the resort or a reputable operator. Ride-hailing apps work in the city, but a 2.5-hour interprovincial trip is better booked as a proper transfer.

The resort does not publish its own airport transfer prices. For a sense of what regional resort transfers cost, a Toyota GL Grandia transfer from Manila's NAIA Terminals 1, 2 or 3 runs PHP 3,400 one way, and from Clark International Airport PHP 12,500¹⁰. Those are Philippine figures, not Vietnamese ones, but they give you a rough sense of the range for a private airport transfer in Southeast Asia. Ask The Grand Ho Tram directly for its rates from Tan Son Nhat.

The casino's contact number is (+84) 254 378 8022¹. Use it for transfer questions, entry document questions and table minimum questions. Calling ahead is especially worthwhile if you are a Vietnamese citizen relying on the pilot scheme, because the paperwork requirements are specific and you do not want to discover a missing document after a 2.5-hour drive.

Staying at the resort: rooms, rates and amenities

You do not have to stay overnight. The operator states plainly that staying overnight at the resort is not mandatory to access the casino¹. Day trips are fine.

That said, the travel time changes the calculus. A round trip from Ho Chi Minh City adds hours of driving on top of your time on the floor. Many visitors stay at least one night to avoid doing that in a single day, particularly if they plan to play into the evening. The resort has over 1,250 rooms, suites, and villas along 2.2 kilometers of beach, so there is no shortage of places to stay².

The resort side of the property includes hotel rooms, restaurants and leisure facilities, and the casino operates 24/7 to match¹. The property was originally developed as the MGM Grand Ho Tram, owned and financed by Asian Coast Development Ltd., with MGM MIRAGE providing development assistance and operating the resort⁴. That history explains the scale of the hotel and the international standard of the fit-out.

Room rates are not published in the material available here, and they move with the season, the day of the week and how far ahead you book. Weekends and Vietnamese public holidays are the expensive nights. Booking direct with the resort is the simplest way to get an accurate rate and to ask about packages that bundle a room with dining or gaming credit.

If you are planning a wider Vietnam casino trip, Ha Tien Vegas Entertainment Resort is the other southern cross-border style option, and our casinos in Vietnam guide compares the main properties by who can enter and what they offer.