Vietnam's Casinos — Why Vietnamese Citizens Need a Permit to Play
Vietnam's casinos are mostly foreigner-only, but a 3-year pilot has cracked the door open for Vietnamese citizens at two properties.
Vietnam licenses casinos but historically barred Vietnamese citizens from playing. A pilot program allows Vietnamese citizens to gamble at Corona Phu Quoc and The Grand Ho Tram if they meet income/age thresholds. Major properties: Corona Phu Quoc (island), The Grand Ho Tram Strip (south coast), The Grand Da Nang (under development), Royal Halong (north). All require passport at entry.
Corona Phu Quoc — the pilot property
On Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Thailand. Owned by VinGroup. Part of the pilot allowing Vietnamese citizens (21+, monthly income above VND 10M, paying a daily fee) to gamble. Full-service integrated resort with hotel, beach, and adjacent VinPearl theme park. Tables US$15–50 mass-floor.
The Grand Ho Tram Strip
On the south coast 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. Asian Coast Development's flagship; opened 2013. Dual-tower hotel, Greg Norman golf course, decent dining. The other pilot-program property. Beach is reasonable but not Phu Quoc-tier.
The Grand Da Nang
Hoiana Resort & Golf — a Suncity-developed integrated resort about 30 minutes south of Da Nang. Foreigner-only at this writing. Strong golf, beach access, decent gaming floor. Best paired with a multi-day Da Nang / Hoi An trip.
Royal Halong / smaller foreigner-only properties
Halong Bay area, plus a handful of smaller foreigner-only casinos at hotel properties around the country. None are destinations on their own; all are amenities for a beach holiday.
What to know
Topics
- vietnam
- asia