Online casinos are illegal in Vietnam under Decree 147/2024/ND-CP, which took effect on December 25, 2024, prohibiting licensing of casino-style games and games using card imagery. The decree mandates player verification through Vietnamese mobile phone numbers and requires players under 16 to provide parental or guardian information during registration (1). Foreign gaming companies providing services in Vietnam must establish domestic operations and comply with Vietnamese payment regulations (1).
Land-based casinos operate legally exclusively for foreign tourists, with Vietnamese citizens granted limited access through a pilot program that ended on December 31, 2024. The government suspended the trial allowing local citizens to gamble at Corona Casino on Phu Quoc Island, with no official announcement yet reinstating or permanently terminating the scheme (2). The Ministry of Finance is conducting a comprehensive assessment expected in late 2025 to determine whether to extend, modify, or end local casino access (2).
"Casino-style games and card-based games are no longer eligible for licensing in Vietnam. This decision seeks to curb the negative effects of such games on players."
During the pilot program, Vietnamese citizens could enter approved casinos if they were at least 21 years old, earned minimum VND 10 million monthly, and paid entry fees. Proposed regulations suggest doubling entry fees to VND 2.5 million per day or VND 50 million monthly if the program resumes (2). Vietnam currently hosts over eight licensed casinos in tourist destinations including Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Phu Quoc, operated primarily by foreign investors serving international visitors (2).
Source:
https://vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam-tightens-online-gaming-rules-bans-casino-style-and-card-based-games-2346909.html
https://www.casinolifemagazine.com/article/evolution-casino-legislation-vietnam
Last updated: 13-10-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
