Back in 2021, an undisclosed tourist from Italy visited the island of Phu Quoc. There she decided to go to the Corona Resort & Casino Phu Quoc. She was lucky, and in just a couple of hours, she won over VND 54 billion in chips, the equivalent of $2.4 million.
But the casino only paid the traveler a fifth of her winnings, splitting it into three payments. The rest of the money — VND 44.6 billion — was never paid. The woman asked to be paid several times but to no avail. In 2022, the Italian woman decided to sue the casino for her remaining winnings and interest. To the surprise of many, a Vietnamese court decided to hear the case.
Gambling has traditionally been poorly regarded in Vietnam. While foreigners could safely gamble in casinos while visiting Vietnam, the Vietnamese themselves have only been able to gamble in casinos since 2019. And that only in authorized places, such as the Corona Resort & Casino Phu Quoc.
Many local experts believe that the incident with the Italian citizen will put a shadow on the gambling business in Vietnam, which brings good income to the budget. Many tourists, who can not play in the casinos in their home country, come to Vietnam to rest at the resort and relax for gambling. Once foreigners realize that they are being cheated in Vietnamese casinos, they are unlikely to want to continue playing in such establishments. It will be easier for them to understand a little bit of nuance and study this guide and play in online casinos, which also give bonuses for registration.
So the Vietnamese authorities need to be very careful. Especially since the regulation of the law on gambling says that businesses that run casinos must pay full prizes to winning players in a timely manner.