Extending the pilot period for Vietnamese people to play in casinos

According to Decree No. 145/2024/ND-CP, for the first casino business enterprise to be authorized by the competent authority to pilot allowing Vietnamese people to play in the casino, the pilot period will end on December 31, 2024.

The Government issued Decree No. 145/2024/ND-CP dated November 4, 2024 amending Clause 2, Article 12 of Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP dated January 16, 2017 of the Government on casino business.

Regarding the pilot period allowing Vietnamese people to play at casino business locations, Clause 2, Article 12 of Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP stipulates that the pilot period is 3 years, from the date the first casino business enterprise is allowed to pilot allowing Vietnamese people to play at casino business locations.

After 3 years of piloting, the Government will summarize, evaluate and decide whether to continue allowing Vietnamese people to play casino or possibly stop allowing Vietnamese people to play casino in Vietnam.

Previously, in 2016, the Politburo allowed a pilot program for Vietnamese people to play casinos in Phu Quoc and Van Don. The pilot period is 3 years. However, currently, only Phu Quoc Casino has been operating since January 2019. According to the provisions of Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP mentioned above, the pilot program will be implemented until January 2022.

In 2022, the Ministry of Finance proposed to the Government and submitted to the Politburo permission to extend the pilot period by 2 years at Phu Quoc Casino until the end of 2024. The Ministry said that due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting casino business, the pilot period was short and the results were not as expected.

Last May, the Politburo concluded that it agreed to extend the pilot period for Vietnamese people to play casinos until the end of this year for the project in Phu Quoc.

For the project in Van Don, the pilot period for Vietnamese people to play casino is 3 years from the date the project starts casino business (currently this project is not operating casino business).

In order to soon institutionalize the regulation on extending the pilot period for Vietnamese people to play at casino business locations, the Government issued Decree No. 145/2024/ND-CP dated November 4, 2024 amending Clause 2, Article 12 of Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP regulating the pilot period allowing Vietnamese people to play at casino business locations as follows:

For the first casino business that is authorized by the competent authority to pilot allowing Vietnamese people to play in the casino, the pilot period will end on December 31, 2024.

For other casino businesses that are permitted by competent authorities to pilot allowing Vietnamese people to play in casinos (if any), the pilot implementation period is 3 years from the date of being granted the Certificate of eligibility to operate casinos.

Decree No. 145/2024/ND-CP clearly states that after the end of the pilot period specified above, enterprises implementing the pilot will stop allowing Vietnamese people to play in casinos until the Government issues a Decree on ending or allowing Vietnamese people to play in casinos.

The Ministry of Finance shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the State Bank of Vietnam and the People's Committees of provinces and cities where there are enterprises permitted to pilot the admission of Vietnamese people to casinos to summarize, evaluate and report to the Government for reporting to competent authorities for consideration and decision on terminating or continuing to admit Vietnamese people to casinos with the following time:

Before November 30, 2024, for the first casino business enterprise to be authorized by the competent authority to pilot allowing Vietnamese people to play at the casino business location.

Before 60 days from the end of the pilot for other casino businesses licensed by competent authorities (if any).

Based on the decision of the competent authority, the Government issued a Resolution on terminating or continuing to allow Vietnamese people to play in casinos for enterprises implementing the pilot./.

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