Grand Ho Tram granted 5-year local gaming authorization, Van Don gets 5 years (once open); Corona given permanent authorization
Summary
Vietnam’s government issued Resolution No. 307/2025/NQ-CP on 26 November 2025, expanding domestic casino access. Corona Resort & Casino on Phu Quoc has been authorised to admit Vietnamese nationals permanently. The Grand Ho Tram Resort (Ba Ria–Vung Tau) and the planned Van Don integrated resort (Quang Ninh) have been authorised to run five-year local-entry pilot programmes (Van Don’s pilot to begin once the resort opens). The resolution takes immediate effect and builds on the original local-entry trial that started in 2017.
Key Points
- Corona Resort & Casino (Phu Quoc) now holds permanent authorisation to admit eligible Vietnamese nationals.
- The Grand Ho Tram and Van Don have been authorised to run five-year pilot programmes allowing qualified local players.
- Pilots and ongoing local access must comply with Decree 03/2017: age 21+, income threshold, entry fees and monitoring rules.
- Decree 03/2017 fees: daily pass VND1 million and monthly pass VND25 million; income requirement VND10 million per month or equivalent tax grade.
- Van Don is a strategic VND51.5 trillion (~$2.16bn) integrated resort planned over nine years with a 70-year concession.
- Ho Tram is Vietnam’s largest operating integrated resort; it’s undergoing a roughly $1bn expansion to boost rooms and gaming capacity.
- Pilots will be assessed after the five-year period to decide whether to continue, expand or end local access.
Content summary
The resolution formalises a significant policy shift: permanent local access at Corona and time-limited pilots at Grand Ho Tram and Van Don. All local-player rules — income checks, entry passes and monitoring — remain governed by Decree 03/2017. The Van Don project, long delayed, is large-scale and its inclusion in the pilot framework is expected to affect investor sentiment and commercial viability. Ho Tram’s continued development underlines the south’s established gaming position. Authorities will monitor social safeguards and economic impacts before any further changes.
Context and relevance
This is the most notable expansion of Vietnamese local casino access since the 2017 trial. For operators, investors and suppliers it signals that controlled local participation is moving from experimental to potentially mainstream at selected resorts. The move ties into Vietnam’s broader tourism and regional development plans — Van Don especially is positioned as a northern tourism anchor — while regulators emphasise monitoring and social-protection measures. The policy will influence investment decisions, project valuations and regional competition in ASEAN gaming markets.
Author style
Punchy: This is a clear policy pivot that matters — not just a tweak to rules. If you’re tracking gaming licences, resort valuations or Vietnam tourism strategy, the details here will change forecasts and plans.
Why should I read this?
Short version: big move for Vietnam’s gaming scene. Corona staying open to locals indefinitely and two big resorts getting five-year pilots means more customers, clearer investment signals and likely heavier regulatory scrutiny. If you work in gaming, tourism or regional investment — this is worth a few minutes of your time.