Vietnamese people with incomes under 10 million VND are not allowed to gamble in casinos.

A pilot program is being implemented allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble at casinos in Van Don and Phu Quoc, but authorities require players to be at least 21 years old, have a regular monthly income of over 10 million VND, and not be prohibited from gambling by their relatives.

According to the latest draft decree on casino business, Vietnamese citizens will also be allowed to gamble in casinos, but this will temporarily only be applied on a pilot basis to two casinos in Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) and Van Don (Quang Ninh). This pilot program will last for 3 years, starting from when one of these two casinos meets the operating requirements.

Vietnamese people with incomes below 10 million dong who are "requested" not to gamble by relatives will not be allowed into casinos.

Regarding the requirements for Vietnamese citizens to enter casinos, players must be 21 years of age or older, possess full civil capacity, and also have sufficient financial capacity. Specifically, they need to demonstrate a regular monthly income of 10 million VND or more, or be subject to income tax at level 3 or higher. In addition, players must not have any family members such as parents (or adoptive parents), spouse, or biological children who have submitted a request to the casino to prohibit them from playing.

According to the proposal from the drafting agency, the entrance fee to casinos for Vietnamese citizens would be one million dong for 24 consecutive hours or 25 million dong per month per person. Vietnamese citizens entering the casino must play and receive winnings in Vietnamese dong (VND).

The issue of whether to ban or allow Vietnamese citizens to gamble in casinos has been debated by regulatory agencies for many years. Thus, to date, there is a general consensus on allowing Vietnamese citizens to enter casinos, but on a "pilot" basis. Furthermore, regulatory agencies acknowledge and affirm that casino operations are conditional business activities; only businesses with the necessary licenses and qualifications are permitted to operate.

At the same time, the drafting agency requested that casinos be linked to the core business activities of enterprises to promote tourism and trade development, diversify forms of entertainment, attract tourists, and ensure national security, social order and safety, morality, and public health.

A source told VnExpress that the conditions for a comprehensive tourism and entertainment service project to open a casino have been relaxed compared to previous regulations, now requiring a total investment of only $2 billion (instead of $4 billion). Furthermore, businesses will only be granted a license after disbursing at least half of the committed investment capital. Additionally, each project will only be considered for and granted a license for one casino.

Depending on the total committed investment of the project, the business is allowed to operate a certain number of gaming machines and tables in the casino. For projects licensed after the Decree came into effect, for every $10 million invested, the business is allowed to invest in one gaming table and 10 gaming machines. For projects licensed before that date, the regulations stated in the investment registration certificate will apply.

According to VNE