VietNamNet Bridge – Vienna-headquartered Casinos Austria, one of the largest casino operators in the world, has joined the list of foreign firms eager to invest in an integrated casino resort in Quang Ninh Province, which may become the first in the country to allow Vietnamese nationals to gamble.

According to Quang Ninh People’s Committee, Richard Lehner, senior advisor at Casinos Austria, last week visited the northern province and asked for permission to conduct a feasibility study for the project.

“Casinos Austria’s representative told the provincial leaders that the firm saw potential in this project and wanted to exploit the opportunity here,” a source at the Van Don Economic Zone Management Authority told VIR.

As approved by the government, Van Don is one of two locations earmarked for casino resort projects. The other being the southern island of Phu Quoc.

Van Don has emerged as the more attractive investment venue to foreign investors as the Vietnamese government has not ruled out the casino becoming the first in the country to allow Vietnamese citizens to gamble.

Foreign casino operators expressing interest in developing the project in Van Don include Las Vegas Sand, Genting, Phoenix Macau Tailoi and ISC Corporation.

Last August, the Ministry of Finance told the Standing Committee of the National Assembly that the Communist Party’s Politburo had given in-principle agreement to the construction of an integrated casino resort in the special economic zone of Van Don and would look into the possibility of allowing Vietnamese nationals to play there.

The Committee on Finance and Budget, under the National Assembly, also sent a report to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly asking the government to study such a possibility in the context of the government issuing a comprehensive legal framework to manage the casino business in the country.

Source: VIR