The national government of Vietnam has officially approved a project to develop a casino resort in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh. The plan entails a minimum investment of US$2 billion, according to a report by VnExpress.
Quang Ninh authorities are now tasked with selecting an investor for the development, the report stated. The Van Don resort complex is set to cover more than 244 hectares and will feature a casino, hotels, villa-style accommodation, and water-based attractions. A portion of the land has been designated for forest conservation.
Construction of the Van Don project is expected to be completed within nine years. The resort would operate under a licence valid for up to 70 years.
There are currently several casinos in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Vung Tau in southern Vietnam and Hai Phong in the north.
Vietnamese people are currently not allowed to gamble in casinos
The Van Don casino resort project has been under review by the Vietnamese national authorities since 2023 according to GGRAsia (Van Don casino resort plan sent to Vietnam PM: report – GGRAsia).
The concept, however, dates back further. It was included in a pilot scheme established in 2017 to permit Vietnamese nationals to gamble at selected casinos. It remains unclear whether the authorities intend to renew the programme which lapsed end of 2024. It was supposed to be piloted on the Southern Vietnam’s tourist island of Phu Quoc. At present, no casino in Vietnam is permitted to allow locals to gamble.
Casino operations and “any pilot scheme” to allow Vietnamese citizens to gamble at the Van Don site would only be permitted once “all legal conditions are met”.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed resuming the principles of a recent trial programme that has allowed economically-qualified locals to gamble in casinos authorised to accept them.
But a fresh proposal would simplify a previous wealth test, and charge locals either an entry fee of 2.5 million Vietnamese Dong (about US$100) for 24-hour access, or 50 million Vietnamese Dong – about US$2,000 – for a month’s access.
Trump’s project in Vietnam
Vietnam’s government has approved a plan by the Trump Organization and a partner to invest US$1.5 billion in golf courses, hotels and real estate projects in Vietnam.
The project, planned on 990 hectares of land, will feature a complex of golf courses, resorts, hotels, and a modern residential project. Construction is expected to begin soon and run until the second quarter of 2029.
Real estate developer Kinhbac City, the Vietnamese partner of Donald Trump’s family business, announced the project in October.
The approval came amid trade negotiations between Vietnam and the United States, as Vietnam sought to avoid a U.S. import tariff of 46%, which has been reduced to 20% effective 1 August.
In March, Reuters reported that the Trump Organization and its partner were planning up to four golf and hotel projects in Vietnam. The first two courses are expected to be operational by mid-2027.
Vietnam, home to approximately 100 million people, has around 70 golf courses and 100,000 local golfers, according to the Vietnam Golf Association.
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