In October 2022, the Kien Giang provincial government, which covers Phu Quoc island, asked the Ministry of Finance to extend by three years, to January 7, 2025, the right of Corona Resort & Casino to serve local players under a pilot scheme1.
Corona is Vietnam's first and so far only tourism complex with a casino permitted to serve economically qualified locals1. It was first allowed to cater to local players under the pilot in 20191.
The request came before the trial's results were reported upward. In August 2023, the ministry reported to Vietnam's Politburo on the trial scheme's results, and the ministry was "in the process of soliciting directives from the Politburo" on the topic1.
Figures reported to the National Assembly, cited by the official Vietnam News Agency, show the property's 2023 gaming revenue rose 45.7 percent year on year to nearly VND2.2 trillion (US$89.0 million), with VND1.23 trillion contributed to the national government's budget1. Ticket revenue from Vietnamese people attending Corona in 2023 exceeded VND32 billion, and amounted to VND242 billion from 2019 to 20231.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| 2023 gaming revenue | Nearly VND2.2 trillion (US$89.0 million), up 45.7 percent year on year1 |
| 2023 budget contribution | VND1.23 trillion1 |
| Vietnamese ticket revenue, 2023 | More than VND32 billion1 |
| Vietnamese ticket revenue, 2019 to 2023 | VND242 billion1 |
| Vietnamese visitors, 2019 to end-2023 | 295,943, or 62 percent of total players1 |
| Foreign visitors, 2019 to end-2023 | 179,507, or 38 percent of total players1 |
| Vietnamese share of visitors, 2023 | 39 percent1 |
The report said the proportion of Vietnamese visitors was higher in 2020 and 2021 because the Covid-19 pandemic curtailed foreign tourism to Vietnam1. It also indicated that locals made only a modest contribution to 2023 revenue1.
Separately, local news outlet VietNamNet Global indirectly cited Ho Duc Phoc, Vietnam's Minister of Finance, on the likely direction of the pilot. The outlet stated that the ministry "doesn't have a plan to allow Vietnamese to go to casinos on a large scale and other casinos will not be licensed to admit Vietnamese in the immediate time"1.
"doesn't have a plan to allow Vietnamese to go to casinos on a large scale and other casinos will not be licensed to admit Vietnamese in the immediate time"
What it means for players
For Vietnamese citizens, entry to a casino in Vietnam remains limited to the Corona pilot on Phu Quoc, and only for those who meet the economic qualification criteria attached to the scheme1. No other casino has been licensed to admit Vietnamese players, and the ministry has said that will not change in the immediate term1. Vietnamese players made up 39 percent of visitors at Corona in 2023, down from their share in the pandemic years1.
For foreign visitors and expats, the pilot does not restrict entry at Corona, and the reported figures show foreign visitors numbered 179,507 from 2019 to the end of 2023, or 38 percent of total players1. Rules on who may enter which Vietnamese casino, and on the documents required, are set out in our guide to casino entry for Vietnamese citizens and our Vietnam gambling overview.
What happens next
The extension request sought a new end date of January 7, 2025 for local play at Corona1. Whether that extension was granted has not been reported. The Ministry of Finance was soliciting directives from the Politburo on the pilot scheme1, and no decision on the scheme's future, or on licensing other casinos to admit Vietnamese players, has been reported1.
