Vietnam’s first casino for locals go live

Vietnam’s first ever casino that allows local citizens to engage in gambling started functioning in Phu Quoc, the country’s largest island. Corona Resort and Casino has gone live in a historic move.

Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development Jsc., a company half-owned by Vietnam’s largest conglomerate, Vingroup, has built the property, which boasts of a 30,000-square-meter casino floor with more than 200 gaming tables and well over 2,000 slot machines. The company has pumped in more than $2.1 billion into the luxury hotel and casino resort.

Aside from foreigners, Corona Resorts and Casino will also admit locals to its gaming floor. While casino gambling is legal in Vietnam, residents of the country have been banned from gambling at its existing facilities for years.

Under a new, government-endorsed programme, the Phu Quoc-based casino will allow locals to enter its premises and gamble during a three-year trial period. The three-year programme aims to help Vietnamese lawmakers determine whether residents should be allowed to gamble at local casinos permanently.

Corona Resorts and Casino allows only people aged 21 or over to gamble at its gaming floor. There is also an entry fee for residents of the country. A 24-hour pass costs VND1 million (approx. $43), while a monthly pass is worth VND25 million (approx. $1,000). Locals are not allowed to gamble more than 720 hours a month.

The casino will be open 24/7 during the three-year trial period. Vietnamese passport holders will be allowed to gamble if their minimum monthly income is VND10 million (approx. $430) and have no history of criminal offenses.