Vietnam's government issued Decree No. 145/2024/NĐ-CP on November 4, 2024, amending Clause 2, Article 12 of Decree No. 03/2017/NĐ-CP to set out how long the pilot program allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble at casinos will run1. The decree extends the pilot for the first licensed casino business until December 31, 2024, and sets a three-year trial from the date of business certification for any other casinos licensed to conduct the pilot1.
The pilot began in 2016, when the Politburo approved a three-year program permitting Vietnamese citizens to gamble at casinos in Phú Quốc Island in Kiên Giang province and Vân Đồn in Quảng Ninh province1. Only Phú Quốc's casino began operations, in January 2019, with the pilot scheduled to conclude in January 20221. In 2022 the Ministry of Finance proposed extending the pilot for two additional years in Phú Quốc, citing the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on casino operations and limited trial results1. In May 2024 the Politburo approved extending the Phú Quốc pilot until the end of the year1. For Vân Đồn, the three-year pilot will begin once the casino becomes operational; it is not yet open1.
Under the decree, when a trial period ends, businesses must stop allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble until the government issues a decree either ending or continuing that permission1. The Ministry of Finance, working with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the State Bank of Vietnam and the provincial People's Committees overseeing the pilot casinos, will assess and report to the government on whether to continue or end Vietnamese citizen access1. Those reports are due by November 30, 2024, for the first casino to receive a pilot license, and sixty days before the end of any later trial periods for other casinos1. The government will then issue a resolution on whether to end or continue the permission1.
"For the first licensed casino business, the pilot program is extended until December 31, 2024"
Nine casinos operate in Vietnam, according to the report: six small-scale casinos in Đồ Sơn (Hải Phòng), Lợi Lai, Hoàng Gia and Hồng Vận Hotel (Quảng Ninh), International Hotel (Lào Cai) and Silver Shores (Đà Nẵng), and three large-scale casinos in Nam Hội An (Quảng Nam), Hồ Tràm (Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu) and Phú Quốc (Kiên Giang)1. Phú Quốc's Corona Casino, developed by Phú Quốc Tourism Investment and Development JSC, has operated since 2019 within a complex with total investment exceeding VNĐ50 trillion (US$1.97 billion), and is currently the only casino allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble1.
| Casino | Scale | Pilot status under the decree |
|---|---|---|
| Phú Quốc (Kiên Giang) | Large | Extended to December 31, 20241 |
| Vân Đồn (Quảng Ninh) | Large | Three years from the date it becomes operational; not yet open1 |
| Other licensed pilot casinos, if any | Not stated | Three years from the date of business certification1 |
What it means for players
For Vietnamese citizens, the decree keeps the existing arrangement in place only until December 31, 2024, at the first licensed casino, which the reports identify as Phú Quốc's Corona Casino, the only casino currently admitting Vietnamese citizens1. After that date, the decree requires businesses to stop admitting Vietnamese citizens until the government issues a further decree ending or continuing the permission1. Whether Vietnamese citizens will be able to gamble at casinos after December 31, 2024, has not been decided in the decree and depends on the government resolution that follows the assessments1. The rules for who counts as an eligible Vietnamese citizen, and the entry conditions attached, are set by Decree No. 03/2017/NĐ-CP and are not restated in these reports1.
For foreign visitors and expats, the reports describe no change to casino access. The pilot concerns Vietnamese citizens only, and the nine operating casinos continue to operate1. The reports do not state whether any casino other than Phú Quốc's has applied for or received pilot permission1.
What happens next
The assessment reports from the Ministry of Finance and the other named bodies are due by November 30, 2024, for the first casino to receive a pilot license, and sixty days before the end of any subsequent trial periods for other casinos1. Based on those findings, the government will issue a resolution on whether to end or continue permitting Vietnamese citizens to gamble at casinos1. No date for that resolution has been reported1.
For the wider legal position, see Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Recent and Pending Gambling Law Changes in Asia. For the venues involved, see New and Planned Casinos in Vietnam and Can Vietnamese Citizens Enter a Casino?. General access questions are covered in Can I Gamble in Vietnam?.
