Vietnam: Government considers raising casino entry fees for residents as alternative to verifying income

It wants a 24-hour ticket price doubled to VND2.5 million (US$95) and that of monthly tickets increased by 2.5 times to VND50 million, according to the draft of a regulation being reviewed by relevant agencies.

Since 2016 the government has been trialing a scheme to allow locals to play in some casinos if they meet certain criteria such as being 21 years or more and having a monthly income of at least VND10 million.

The income criterion has proven to be a hurdle since many people meet the requirement but struggle to furnish documents if they want to gamble without pre-planning, the ministry said.

"Many cannot provide the required documents as they must be thoroughly prepared in advance."

But Vietnamese have no such difficulties at foreign casinos, it said.

So it wants to increase ticket prices to ensure that players are financially capable but are not saddled with red tape for proving it.

It also wants authorized casinos to to verify, review and retain customer data for a minimum of five years.

There are nine such casinos.

The government last month instructed the ministry to come up with policies for development of the Phu Quoc special economic zone, including on allowing Vietnamese to gamble at casinos there after the trial period ends.

Casinos must be part of integrated tourism and amusement complexes with a minimum investment of $2 billion.

Operators must have 24/7 surveillance camera systems in operational areas, including entry/exit points, gaming floors, vaults, cash exchange counters, and money control areas.

The videos from the cameras must be stored for at least 180 days and be available to authorities on demand.

All players, both Vietnamese and foreign, must be issued electronic ID cards containing personal details and information about validity, access rights, etc.