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Vietnam’s approach to casino gambling is on the verge of a major change, at least for those living on Phu Quoc Island. Authorities are now considering the possibility of letting Vietnamese nationals gamble at Corona Resort & Casino permanently. This proposal comes right after the pilot program, which ran its course and ended in late 2024, left locals on the outside looking in.
From Pilot Program to Real Policy
Corona Resort was the country’s test case. The concept was straightforward: observe what happens when locals, rather than foreign visitors alone, have an opportunity to gamble within a highly regulated environment. For several years, the Phu Quoc casino floor was the only facility in Vietnam to accept Vietnamese passport holders, and the conditions were strict—minimum income criteria, admission fees, and government oversight at every turn. The COVID-19 pandemic cut those plans short, making it impossible to draw clear conclusions from the trial.
By the time the last bet was placed under the pilot, Vietnamese gamblers had become the main customers, making up more than half of the property’s total foot traffic. As soon as the pilot expired, the doors closed to locals, even as speculation grew louder about whether the policy would return, and be made permanent.
A Push for Special Policies
This latest move can be traced back to new marching orders from Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long. The Ministry of Finance now has the task of digging into “special development policies” for Phu Quoc Island, and one of the biggest questions on their list is what to do about casino access for locals. With an eye on broader plans for the Mekong Delta region, the government is weighing the creation of a special administrative unit for Phu Quoc, which might pave the way for a more flexible regulatory approach, including who can play at the casino.
The Numbers Behind the Debate
In the background, the numbers from Corona’s pilot period suggest a very mixed picture. The resort brought in revenue for the local budget, and Vietnamese guests were key to its business model. But running a resort and integrating a casino for local play comes with major costs, depreciation, financing, and the fallout from global disruptions like the pandemic left the operator with financial losses to go along with the headlines. The Ministry of Finance, along with several other government branches, has been reviewing these results in hopes of finding a balanced way forward.
The Ministry of Finance has also been busy. They recently submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister seeking approval for a VND51.5 trillion (US$2 billion) luxury casino-resort development in Quang Ninh province. That’s a massive investment that would represent a significant expansion of Vietnam’s gaming sector.
What Happens Next
There is still no definite date for when a final ruling will be made, only that the concept is very much on the table. Local gamblers will just have to wait and see if Vietnam can abandon its traditionally conservative stance and give them access again to Phu Quoc’s casino floors, not for one more trial run, but for good.
If that happens, it would be a turning point for both the casino sector and for policy by the government. The decision is more than just a local issue—it’s about how economic goals, tourism, and careful regulation intersect on one island that continues to reshape Vietnam’s gaming landscape.
Source: Inside Asian Gaming (IAG)
