Sun Group to develop $2 bln casino-tourism complex in northern Vietnam

Vietnam's leading developer Sun Group has been selected by Quang Ninh province's authorities as the investor of a $2 billion casino-tourism complex project that will allow Vietnamese people to gamble on a pilot basis.

The provincial People's Committee recently issued a document approving Van Don Sun Joint Stock Company, a subsidiary of Sun Group, as the investor.

The project, located in Van Don Economic Zone, received in-principle approval from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 27, 2025.

Accordingly, the project covers 244.45 hectares, with segments including casino service, tourism, hotels, resorts, hotel apartments (condotel), commercial townhouses, shopping centers, offices, and conference centers.

Its high-end casino service allows Vietnamese people to participate on a pilot basis, but they must meet strict criteria according to current regulations.

This super complex will also be a gathering place for large-scale international art shows and vibrant entertainment venues day and night, turning Van Don into an attractive destination similar to Macau (China) or Las Vegas (U.S.).

It has investment capital of more than $2 billion, including equity capital, loans, and mobilized capital.

The project's operating period is no more than 70 years from the date the investor selection approval was issued. It is set to be put into operation after nine years from the date the investor is allocated/leased land.

The project is expected to turn Van Don Economic Zone into a new entertainment-tourism symbol of Vietnam.

Quang Ninh is home to many large projects of Sun Group, such as Van Don International Airport (the first and only privately-owned airport in Vietnam to date), Ha Long International Passenger Port, Ha Long-Van Don Expressway, Van Don-Mong Cai Expressway, entertainment complex Sun World Ha Long, Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh, and resort complex Oakwood Halong.

Quang Ninh is home to the UNESCO-recognized natural heritage site Ha Long Bay.

Sun Group, a leading real estate developer in Vietnam, is seeking Ho Chi Minh City authorities’ permission to invest in a riverfront road along the Saigon River and a 40-kilometer metro line under the build-transfer (BT) model in the former Cu Chi district.

Sun Airport Corporation, a subsidiary of the group, was in June approved to be the investor of the Phu Quoc International Airport expansion project in southern Vietnam.

Sun Group in May broke ground on a VND37 trillion ($1.43 billion) urban area project in the former southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, now part of Ho Chi Minh City.

The group in April broke ground on its Am Tien spiritual and historical tourism complex project in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

In the same month, Sun City Limited Liability Company, a unit of Sun Group, received a preliminary in-principle approval from local authorities to build a VND12.75 trillion ($491 million) opera house in Hanoi.

The project, named Pearl Opera House and Cultural Theme Park, will span 191,241 square meters in Quang An ward, Tay Ho district.