The authorities in the Lam Dong province of the Central Highlands region of Vietnam are currently considering a proposal for a casino and night market establishment as a move to boost tourism in the region.
The city of Da Lat is already known as a popular tourist destination. According to reports, it is visited by approximately 1.5 million tourists on an annual basis, with around 300,000 of these visitors being foreign customers. However, it is one of the few areas in the country where there is no casino. The authorities of the region, also popular as the “Valley of Love”, are now preparing to seek federal approval for the development and establishment of a gaming property that would make the city an even more desired tourist hotspot.
Recently, the People’s Committee of Da Lat City issued a plan for the implementation of some new attractions that would bring a new life to the economic development of the area’s nightlife, including the provision of a large variety of shopping, sightseeing, and entertainment options. As mentioned above, the local authorities are reportedly preparing a casino proposal, too.
As revealed by the Vice Chairman of Da Lat City People’s Committee, Nguyen Van Son, the project is aimed at forming and developing new tourism models in the city in order to help the region boost its attractiveness as a tourist destination. According to city authorities, the addition of new shopping, nighttime, gambling and entertainment options will have a positive impact on bringing some changes to Da Lat’s nighttime appearance. Apart from that, it will help reduce traffic pressure in the central area of the city, boost income, and improve the overall quality of life of everyone who lives in the region.
Only One of Nine Casinos in Vietnam Accepts Local Gamblers
Currently, there are nine casinos in Vietnam. Only one of them, however, features gambling options for local customers, while the rest of the casino venues accept only foreign customers.
If approved, the proposed development project will see a number of stages rolled out over the next seven years. As revealed by local officials, the city of Da Lat plans to first build a water music park that is set to be hosted by the local flower garden. Then, a 2,952-foot-long “food street” is set to be constructed, along with more pedestrian and performing arts areas. As mentioned above, the city authorities are willing to boost the area’s focus on shopping and sightseeing, with a new night market also part of the plans.
A large entertainment complex that will host various activities, including a casino, is also part of the plan.
As previously explained by CasinoGamesPro, Vietnam prohibits most forms of gambling for local residents. For the time being, eight of the nine casinos across the country accept only foreign customers, with the Corona Resort and Casino in Phu Quoc being the only Vietnamese casino that participates in a Government-approved pilot scheme allowing local residents to gamble.
Initially, the program was set to run for two years only, but then received an extension in 2022. A second casino was planned to take part in the program, too, but it has still not started operation as its owners are trying to secure investments.
So far, the aforementioned pilot scheme has proven that local people are better window shoppers than gamblers. According to official reports provided by the property, 65% of its customers in the period from 2019 to 2021 originated from Vietnam. They, however, accounted only for 5% of the casino’s revenue.
