The government has just issued Resolution No. 8/2025, allowing eligible Vietnamese citizens to gamble at several licensed casino projects.

According to the resolution, Vietnamese nationals meeting the required criteria are permitted to gamble at the Phu Quoc casino project (An Giang Province) starting November 26.

The resolution also initiates a five-year trial allowing eligible Vietnamese to gamble at the Ho Tram casino project (Ho Chi Minh City), starting from the same date. Likewise, Vietnamese citizens may access the Van Don casino project (Quang Ninh Province) for a five-year period from the date the facility receives a valid business license for casino operations.

The resolution specifies that the management of eligible Vietnamese gamblers, and the operation and regulation of casinos at the approved projects, will comply with Decree No. 03/2017 or any amendments and replacements to it.

Upon conclusion of the trial period, the Ho Tram and Van Don casino projects must suspend local gambling activities until a new decision is issued by the competent authority.

Casino project investors are responsible for strictly managing Vietnamese participants and must comply fully with all legal regulations governing casino business operations.

In 2016, the Politburo approved a pilot policy allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble at the Phu Quoc and Van Don casinos, with a trial period of three years. However, at that time, only the Phu Quoc casino commenced operations in January 2019. Under Decree No. 03/2017, this pilot phase was set to conclude by January 2022.

In 2022, the Ministry of Finance proposed that the government and Politburo extend the pilot phase at the Phu Quoc casino until the end of 2024. The Ministry cited the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on casino business performance, arguing that the initial trial period was too short to assess the policy’s effectiveness.

In May 2024, the Politburo approved an extension of the trial period at the Phu Quoc casino through the end of 2024. For the Van Don project, the trial period will last three years starting from the date its casino business officially begins.

To formalize this extension, the government issued Decree No. 145/2024, which regulates the trial period allowing Vietnamese citizens to enter casino venues.

For the first licensed casino enterprise, the trial will continue through December 31, 2024.

For other casino businesses approved for trial operations, the permitted period will be three years from the date they receive a business eligibility certificate.

Decree No. 145/2024 stipulates that, upon the conclusion of these periods, businesses must cease allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble unless new government policies are introduced.

Tran Thuong