Vietnam opens select casinos to eligible citizens under new rules

THE HANOI TIMES — The Vietnamese Government has promulgated Resolution No. 8/2025/NQ-CP dated November 26, 2025, providing for the admission of eligible Vietnamese citizens into certain licensed casino-business establishments.

Under the resolution, eligible Vietnamese citizens are legible to enter and play at the Phu Quoc casino project in the southern province of An Giang starting from November 26, 2025.

The Resolution further authorizes a pilot scheme allowing eligible Vietnamese citizens to play at the Ho Tram casino project in Ho Chi Minh City for five years from November 26, 2025 and at the Van Don casino project in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh for a five-year period from the date the project is granted a Certificate of Eligibility for casino business operations.

Regulatory framework for the management of eligible Vietnamese casino players

The resolution affirms that the management of eligible Vietnamese citizens entering casinos, as well as the operation and supervision of casino business activities at the aforementioned projects, shall comply with Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP dated January 16, 2017 on casino business and any subsequent amendments, supplements or replacement instruments.

Upon expiry of the pilot period, the Ho Tram and Van Don casino projects must suspend the admission of eligible Vietnamese citizens pending a final decision by the competent authorities pursuant to the applicable regulations on casino business.

Compliance obligations

The resolution comes into force on November 26, 2025.

Casino project enterprises are responsible for organizing their business operations and managing eligible Vietnamese players in a strict manner, ensuring full compliance with the legal framework governing casino activities.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and the Chairpersons of the People’s Committees of An Giang Province, Quang Ninh Province and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as relevant organizations and individuals, are responsible for implementing this Resolution.

Background

In 2016, the Politburo approved a pilot scheme permitting Vietnamese citizens to enter casinos in Phu Quoc and Van Don for a period of three years.

At that time, only the Phu Quoc Casino commenced business operations in January 2019. In accordance with Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP, the initial pilot period concluded in January 2022.

In 2022, the Ministry of Finance advised the government seek Politburo approval for a two-year extension of the pilot at the Phu Quoc Casino through the end of 2024, citing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on casino operations.

In May 2024, the Politburo concluded that the pilot scheme for Phu Quoc would be extended until the end of 2024 and that the Van Don project would have a three-year pilot period from the commencement of its casino business operations.

To promptly codify these directions, the government issued Decree No. 145/2024/ND-CP dated November 4, 2024, amending Clause 2, Article 12 of Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP regarding the duration of pilot schemes permitting Vietnamese citizens to play in casinos, as follows:

For the first casino operator authorized to pilot Vietnamese player entry, the pilot period shall last until December 31, 2024.

For subsequent casino operators authorized to admit Vietnamese players (if any), the pilot period shall be three years from the date of issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility for casino business operations.

Decree No. 145/2024/ND-CP further provides that, upon the conclusion of the prescribed pilot period, the enterprise must suspend the admission of Vietnamese players until the government issues a decree either terminating or continuing the permission for Vietnamese citizens to enter casinos.