Vietnam: casinos ask government to let locals gamble

Vietnamese citizens are allowed to enter only two casinos and must pass strict criteria in order to do so.

Vietnam.- Operators in Vietnam have asked the government to ease the rules on locals entering casinos in order to boost revenue lost as a result of travel restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A group of casino owners has launched a petition calling on authorities allow Vietnamese citizens to enter casinos in major tourism destinations such as Quang Nam and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The casinos normally depend on foreign gamblers, meaning that revenues have plummeted due to ongoing restrictions on entry to the country from abroad.

Tight restrictions on Vietnamese gamblers

At present, citizens are only permitted to enter into two casinos: one on the southern island of Phu Quoc and the other in Van Don in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The government has tight restrictions in place on who can enter the properties: they must be aged over 21 and earn a minimum of VND$10m (US$430) a month. Players must also have no criminal record or objections from their families.

High entry fees also act as a deterrent, with a day pass costing VND$1m (US$43) and a monthly pass VND$25m (US$1,000).

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance is looking to amend the decree that regulates gaming to facilitate more investment in Vietnam.