Vietnam’s government has approved a $2 billion integrated casino resort project in Van Don, Quang Ninh province, as the country signals a more commercially focused approach to gaming.
The project, covering 244 hectares, is expected to generate $326 million in annual revenue and contribute over $9.6 billion to the state budget across its licensed 70-year lifespan. Authorities expect the development to create approximately 6,000 jobs.
Of the total area, 182 hectares have been designated for core resort functions -including a casino, hotels, villas, and entertainment attractions – while 62 hectares will remain as protected or production forest.
The integrated resort will be developed over nine years, with provincial authorities tasked with selecting an investor through a bidding process.
The government has not yet confirmed whether Vietnamese citizens will be permitted to gamble at the site. Entry for locals is currently governed by a pilot scheme launched in 2017, which allows limited domestic participation under strict conditions. That scheme was extended until the end of 2024, but at present, no casino in Vietnam is permitted to allow locals to gamble, and the continuation of the pilot is unclear.
Local media outlet VnExpress reported that casino operations and any pilot program permitting Vietnamese citizens to gamble at the Van Don site will only proceed once all legal requirements are fulfilled.
Analysts view the project as a milestone in Vietnam’s evolving gaming landscape.
Advancing the Van Don integrated resort is seen as a positive sign of Vietnam’s evolving gaming policy. The project’s revival, particularly with the likely extension of the locals entry pilot, marks a shift toward a more commercially viable gaming industry, Tim Nguyen, Managing Director of Fortuna Investments, told AGB.
The Van Don project is among the most ambitious to date in Vietnam, where casino development has historically been limited by regulatory uncertainty and restrictions on local play.
