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Vietnam Casinos Want Entry For Locals As Revenues Plummet

Casinos in Vietnam reportedly want the government to allow locals to enter the casinos in order to make up for the loss of revenue that comes with foreign tourists. The air travel restrictions have made it difficult for tourists to visit the country.

As per news reports a group of casino owners have petitioned the authorities about allowing locals to enter the casinos. Major travel destinations such as Quang Nam and Ba Ria – Vung Tau should be allowed to have locals enter the casinos to fulfill domestic demand.

The casino owners also stated their revenues have taken a massive hit since foreign tourists are unable to travel. Currently, only two casinos in the country permit the entry of local Vietnamese. These include Phu Quoc on the southern island and Van Don located in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

For a long time now, the Vietnamese government has been treating gambling as a social evil, thus restricting the Vietnamese population from entering casinos. In January 2019, the government began a three-year trial period to allow certain casinos to host the Vietnamese. The government did not specify the list of casinos that are permitted to host the Vietnamese. However, news reports state that licenses are granted by the government on a case-by-case basis.

Vietnamese willing to play in these licensed casinos are allowed only if they fulfill certain criterias. Only individuals over 21 years of age are permitted. You must have a minimum income of VND10 million ($430) per month, with no criminal record or objections from their family. The entry fee in these casinos is VND1 million ($43) for a day and VND25 million ($1,000) for a month. 

The country has a total of eight casinos which according to Ministry of Finance data, recorded total revenues of VND2.5 trillion in the year 2019. Locals accounted for 45% of the total visitors in 2019 in Casino Corona in Phu Quoc. This casino was the first one to allow entry to the local population.

Most casinos across the globe restrict the entry of locals. In India too, the casinos in Goa do not permit the local Goan population to enter. Will that change too? Let us know in your comments below.

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