The Van Don integrated casino resort in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam, has been officially approved by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, marking a significant development for the country’s gaming sector.
On Friday (June 27), a US$2 billion investment was approved for a 70-year license to develop the project in three phases over nine years, as reported by VN Express.
The complex will span over 244 hectares in the Van Yen commune, within the Van Don Economic Zone, with 182 hectares allocated for key features such as a casino, hotels, luxury villas, tourism services, parks, and water features.
According to forestry regulations, 62 hectares of interspersed forest land—38 hectares of protected forest and nearly 24 hectares of production forest—must remain untouched and preserved.
Although the casino license has been secured, Vietnamese residents’ access is still under review, pending further legal approvals. The Ministry of Finance resubmitted a proposal to include local players in the pilot program, but final approval is still pending.
No significant regulated gaming sector in Vietnam
As previously detailed by ReadWrite, Phase one is anticipated to run through to 2027 with the initial offerings, backed by an estimated investment of VND 25.1 trillion ($960 million), then phase two (2027–31) with VND 22.08 trillion, and phase three (2031–32) with VND 4.3 trillion.
Over the 70-year term, the Van Don development is projected to contribute around VND 228.9 trillion ($9.67 billion) to the state purse, including VND 134.3 trillion ($5.1 billion) corporate income tax and VND 94.5 trillion ($3.6 billion) VAT.
In Vietnam, there is no widespread regulated gaming industry, with many illicit operators filling the void and demand from local residents.
It remains to be seen if Vietnamese residents will be granted access to Van Don, but the resort alone represents movement toward large-scale provisions, following the three-year gambling pilot scheme conducted in the Southeast Asian nation.
Image credit: @EmbaCubaVietnam/X
