Locals look forward to casino entry A state official has just proposed a pilot plan to let Vietnamese people gamble at casinos in Vietnam, reducing the high number of local people flocking to overseas casinos. At the meeting to discuss the draft law on casinos in Vietnam on August 14, chairman of the NA's Committee for Finance and State Budget, Phung Quoc Hien, suggested a pilot plan at Van Don Casino in Quang Ninh Province. According to current regulations, only foreign passport holders are allowed to use casinos.The casino business is not encouraged because of fears over unsavoury management details, such as the involvement of criminal interests in the managing of the casinos. However, Vietnam also suffers from currency bleeding because many people are flying overseas, mostly to Cambodia and Singapore, and spending huge amounts of money in the casinos. Therefore, Hien said, the government could grant access to Van Don Casino only to Vietnamese people who meet certain requirements, such as high income and a clean criminal record. If the plan proves to be successful, locals will be allowed to play in other casinos in the country. NA's Committee for Finance and State Budget pointed out that the draft law does not have specific regulations in the casino development plan to prevent too many casino projects in one area. The committee also said it's quite unrealistic to require at least USD4 billion worth of capital and ten years of experience in tourism management from casino investors. Other experts also said only foreign investors can meet these requirements. In addition, the draft law should clarify the specific number of gambling machines and tables that each casino is allowed to have. Casino investors, of course, must ensure transparency in business and quality of all their gambling machines and cameras. By P. Thao | dtinews.vn