VietNamNet Bridge – National Assembly (NA) chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has turned down a proposal on a draft Government decree on casinos as submitted by the NA Finance-Budget Committee earlier.

The draft decree was submitted to the NA Standing Committee for approval at the sitting this week before it could be issued by the Government for expected effect from January 1, 2014.

Unlike football betting deemed as illegal in the country until it got the NA Standing Committee’s blessing on Wednesday, casino business has been launched on a trial basis in Vietnam since 1992, with many hotels obtaining licenses to offer the gaming service for foreigners.

Earlier, the Government had issued Decree 86/2013 on gambling services with many provisions regulating casino business. However, the Government has sought approval to issue a separate decree on casino trading to lay a full-fledged legal framework for the services targeting foreigners.

As such, the NA Finance-Budget Committee has proposed the NA Standing Committee to ratify the decree’s issuance as sought by the Government.

Additionally, the committee deems it necessary for the Government to set up specific regulations on the rights of State management authorities, necessary conditions for investment license issuance for tourism and recreational areas offering casino services and casino planning as well as the rights and benefits of gamblers and supervisors.

“The draft decree seems very stringent but it is short of important rules actually, especially those on casino planning and others relating to issuance of business licenses,” NA chairman Hung stressed. He told the committee to spend more time seeking supplements to the draft from the Government instead of letting it issued hastily.

Source: SGT