Vietnamese players are now able to gamble at the Grand Ho Tram casino resort in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province, following the venue’s inclusion in Vietnam’s expanded five-year pilot programme allowing locals to play.
In a statement released on 17 December, Grand Ho Tram confirmed it would allow “eligible Vietnamese citizens” to access its gaming facilities under “strict supervision.” Participants must be at least 21 years of age and show proof of a minimum monthly income of VND10 million (US$380). Gambling is limited to Vietnamese currency, and any unused chips must be exchanged back into dong at the conclusion of play.
Grand Ho Tram’s casino features approximately 90 table games alongside 500 electronic gaming machines.
Slow path to gaming liberalisation
Vietnam has traditionally restricted casino gambling to foreign visitors and Vietnamese citizens holding foreign passports. The first step toward loosening those rules came in 2016, when the Politburo approved a three-year pilot programme allowing locals to gamble at two designated casinos: Corona Resort & Casino in Kien Giang Province, which opened in early 2019, and the planned Van Don casino in Quang Ninh Province.
The trial was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Corona casino forced to shut its doors just a year after launch. The Ministry of Finance subsequently sought, and obtained, a two-year extension of the pilot scheme through 2024. In November last year, Vietnam’s lawmakers further advanced the policy by passing Resolution No. 307/2025/NQ-CP, granting Vietnamese citizens permanent access to gamble at Corona.
The Van Don integrated resort, being developed by Sun Group, is still under construction and is expected to be completed by mid-2032. Once operational, the casino will feature 214 gaming tables and 2,140 slot machines, with its initial five-year operating licence commencing upon opening.
Towards a more ‘modernised tourism sector’
Grand Ho Tram, located near Ho Chi Minh City, described the initiative as “a significant milestone in the government’s continuing efforts to modernise the tourism industry … while driving economic growth.”
Chief executive Walt Power said the resort was “proud to play a role, however modest, in supporting the Vietnamese government’s vision for sustainable economic development through a responsibly operated entertainment and tourism sector.”
