Vietnam: domestic access to Corona casino could be extended until 2025

Vietnamese citizens are only permitted to enter two casinos.

10/06/22

Kien Gang province in Vietnam will ask the Ministry of Finance to extend the pilot scheme that allows locals to gamble at Corona Casino.

Vietnam.- The provincial authorities of Kien Gang have asked Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance to extend Corona Casino’s licence until January 7 2025, also expanding the pilot scheme that allows Vietnamese citizens to gamble at the casino.

Corona Casino was the first casino in Vietnam that allowed locals to gamble. It was reported this week that Vietnamese citizens have spent VND141bn (US$5.9m) since its opening in 2019. According to Vnexpress, that accounted for 5 per cent of the casino’s revenue, or more than VND2.7tn.

According to local media, the complex has created jobs for 1,122 Vietnamese and 32 foreigners; it attracted 240,560 visitors, including 156,533 Vietnamese; and paid VND1.7bn (around US$72.3m) in taxes.

In March last year, casino operators asked the government to expand Vietnamese citizens’ access to casinos in major tourist destinations such as Quang Nam and Ba Ria-Vung Tau to help casinos face the loss of revenue from tourists due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, authorities rejected the petition.