In Vietnam and a group of casino operators has reportedly petitioned the central government to allow the local citizenry to play within their establishments so as to make up for a recent coronavirus-related dearth in foreign business.
According to a Monday report from the news domain at VnExpress.net, the move from the unnamed collection of casino firms comes as the southeast Asian nation is experiencing a massive slump in overseas visitation owing to its adherence to a strict set of international flight restrictions. The source detailed that these controls were brought in last year in order to help Vietnam avoid becoming a hotbed of the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far been linked to the deaths of almost 2.6 million people across the globe.
Course consequences:
However, these same limitations have reportedly also led to a dramatic drop in revenues for the eight large foreigner-only casinos in Vietnam, which encompass such venues as The Grand Ho Tram Strip in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and Quang Nam Province’s ever-growing Hoiana development. The government recently instituted a pilot program that allows domestic aficionados to gamble within such establishments but has to this point purportedly licensed only one open venue in the five-star Corona Resort and Casino on the southern tourist-friendly island of Phu Quoc.
Future fun:
Vietnam is home to nearly approximately 68 million adults and these will reportedly moreover be able to gamble within a coming $1.8 billion integrated casino resort being built by Sun Group on Quang Ninh Province’s Van Don archipelago. But, this 6,177-acre property complete with a large casino, golf course and multiple hotels, villas, apartments and retail spaces is purportedly not expected to premiere before 2025 and even then will be situated in a rural area far from any urban centers of population.
Pricey prerequisites:
Local Vietnamese looking to take advantage of the government’s pilot scheme to gamble within the Corona Resort and Casino are reportedly required to prove they are at least 21 years of age and earn a minimum monthly salary in the region of $430. Such patrons are furthermore purportedly obliged to show a clean criminal record as well as no familial objections before being asked to hand over about $43 for a day casino pass or roughly $1,000 for a month-long permit.
International importance:
Finally, VnExpress.net reported that the eight casinos in Vietnam chalked up aggregated gross gaming revenues of around $108.6 million in 2019 while the same year saw the Corona Resort and Casino attract roughly 45% of the nation’s gamblers at 105,200 with approximately 55% of these being foreign nationals.
