Phu Quoc casino piloted allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble there over a five-year period until the end of 2024. Photo by Vinpearl.
Vietnam currently has nine operating casino projects. Six are small-scale venues; three are large-scale casinos operated under major investment licences, among them, the Phu Quoc casino in Kien Giang Province.
The integrated resort project including the Phu Quoc casino was approved in 2018 with a total investment of VND 50 trillion (approximately USD 1.9 billion). Since January 7, 2019 the project had piloted allowing Vietnamese citizens to gamble there over a five-year period until the end of 2024.
Vietnamese players were required to meet certain conditions: be at least 21 years old, have full civil capacity, not belong to prohibited categories, prove a minimum monthly income of VND 10 million, and pay an entry fee, either VND 1 million for 24 hours or VND 25 million per month.
Across the five-year trial, local gamblers ranged in age from 21 to 97; 63 per cent were male, 37 per cent female, and the majority were aged between 30 and 49.
In total, Vietnamese players accounted for 52 per cent of all visits but contributed 88 per cent of the casino’s revenue.
Prior to 2023, during the pandemic, Vietnamese accounted on average for 71 per cent of visits and 87.9 per cent of revenue. In 2023 Vietnamese gamblers made up 39 per cent of visits but provided nearly 94.8 per cent of revenue.
In 2024 the number of Vietnamese visits dropped by 12 per cent (to 36,439 visits), and spending by Vietnamese gamblers fell 71 per cent, from VND 4.17 trillion in 2023 to VND 1.20 trillion.
The project has created regular employment for more than 3,800 workers, including 761 employed directly by the casino operation, contributing to the local economy and social development of the island.
Under a government resolution issued in November 2025, Vietnamese citizens meeting the eligibility criteria will be permitted to gamble at certain casino projects, including Phu Quoc, from November 26, 2025 onwards.
