Vietnam Still Undecided on Locals in Land-Based Casinos

Vietnam may not be ready to lift the ban on local residents attending the casinos in the country after all, according to the latest reports from Asia.

A draft of revised gambling law was submitted by the Lottery and Gambling Division of the Ministry of Finance back in June, and the new legal framework was expected to remove the ban that prevented locals from visiting the casino establishments in the country.

However, Thanh Nien News has suggested that a new draft has since been introduced that contains no plans to lift the ban, meaning that only foreigners and Vietnamese citizens holding foreign passports will continue to be the sole inhabitants of brick and mortar casinos.

It remains to be seen whether there is any truth in the latest reports, but the reality is that the Vietnamese authorities have yet to decide on what is potentially a very important matter.

Vietnam Residents Gambling in Cambodia

Ever since the ban was first introduced, Vietnamese gamers had no choice but to cross the border to Cambodia and gamble in small gaming halls in the town of Bavet.

Oddly enough, Cambodia also prevents locals from gambling in said gaming establishments, but they might be forced to reconsider their stance if their neighbours lift the ban on locals.

Vietnamese gamblers crossing the border to Cambodia have faced numerous challenges, and there have been plenty of cases where they were held against their will after being unable to repay gambling loans.

And seeing that they spend anywhere from $250 million to $800 million per year in Cambodian casinos, Vietnam clearly has more than one reason to allow locals to gamble in casino establishments.

In addition to boosting their own economy, such a change would certainly end the trend of Vietnamese gamblers falling pray to various scammers in neighbouring Cambodia, so we can only hope that there is little truth in the latest rumours and that the famed ban will ultimately been lifted to everyone’s delight.