With an official crackdown on corruption in place, Chinese gamblers have been turning away from Macau in favour of a small casino in Vietnam.
The casino on the beachfront in Danang is privately owned and its offer of discretion is attracting some of China’s wealthiest gamblers who can place bets worth at least HK$1 million (C119,000).
These days Danang is developing rapidly as a resort. Nevertheless, the Communist officials in Vietnam are reluctant to see the place marketed as a gambling destination, focussing instead on beach, leisure and conferences.
Gambling is restricted to foreigners while the authorities pay great attention to maintaining social order within the Vietnamese society.
This has let the Crown International Games Club keep a low profile, despite helping to organise some 25 weekly charter flights from China.
Industry observers estimate monthly turnover could be as high as €2.8 billion every month. If so, it is about twice as much as that of larger rivals in the Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia.
Vietnam is already a popular destination for many Chinese tourists. This is likely to increase when new casino resorts open are completed in other provinces and if the Chinese crackdown on conspicuous spending continues. That has resulted in a slump in Macau’s gaming industry.
