Pilot permission for Vietnamese citizens to play casino in the country

After 3 years of pilot permission, the Government shall consolidate reports, assess the data and decide on whether or not to terminate the permission for Vietnamese citizens to play in casinos. Photo: Internet

On February 23, 2017, the Ministry of Finance send a statement on the Government’s Decree No.03/2017/ND-CP dated January 16, 2017 on the casino business.

Accordingly, this Decree was issued to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of State management in the field of casino business and also stipulated the responsibilities of the relevant ministries, sectors, localities and State management agencies in the management and supervision of casino business.

The notable point in the Decree is regulation is Vietnamese citizens to play in a casino within the 3 year term to meet the relaxed demands of a number of people who have legal income to contribute to fight against illegal gambling activities which negatively affect the social order and safety and the illegal transfer of foreign currency to abroad to participate in illegal gambling activities.

The duration of the pilot shall be 3 years from the day on which the pilot permission for Vietnamese citizens to play in a casino is first conducted. After 3 years of pilot permission, the Government shall consolidate reports, assess the data and decide on whether or not to terminate the permission for Vietnamese citizens to play in casinos in Vietnam.

Specifically, Vietnamese citizens are allowed to play in a casino if he/she is at least 21 year olds and is fully capable of civil acts and financially capable (having current income at least 10 million vnd per month or being subject to at least grade 3 income Tax).

The other condition is that the player must buy a casino entrance ticket (the price of the ticket shall be 1 million vnd /24 continuous hours/person or 25 million vnd /month/person), and is not a person whose parents, adoptive parents, spouse, or natural child requests the casino-operating enterprise to prevent him/her from playing games at the casino.

Besides, the Decree also stipulates not to allow a person to play games in a casino who is being prosecuted or having a previous conviction for infringement upon national security or serving a suspended imprisonment sentence or having drug addiction, etc.

The conditions for casino business licensing will connect the casino business licensing with conditions that the enterprises must invest and build the projects of service and tourism and entertainment complex places with the invested capital at least $US 2 billion.

The Decree also provides for the contents related to the casino business including: casinos, operation time, number of gaming machines and/or gaming tables, game rules, persons allowed to play games in casinos, rights and obligations of gamblers, management of gaming machines and equipment and tokens, internal inspection regulations and management of collection and payment in foreign currencies, and rights and obligations of casino-operating enterprises.

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For the responsibilities of ministries, sectors, localities and State management authorities, the Decree stipulates the implementation of management tasks of ministries and sectors, in which the Ministry of Finance collaborates with ministries and sectors to build and issue policies and licensing and supervision and examination for compliance with business conditions and enforcement of the provisions of law in the country.

The People's Committees of provinces and cities will implement the annual monitoring, supervision and inspection and sudden inspection (if any) for the casino operating enterprises in their areas.

Tax collection is implemented in accordance with current tax law.