Vietnam is preparing to introduce digital identity verification across its casino and gaming sector, allowing operators to check customer information through the country’s national VNeID application from 15 November 2026.
The change forms part of amendments to the country’s security and public-order regulations under Decree 392/2026/ND-CP, issued on 20 October. The revised rules cover casinos, electronic gaming establishments serving foreign customers and betting businesses.
Under the updated requirements, operators may verify customers using either the VNeID application or traditional identity documents. However, the digital option does not remove existing record-keeping obligations: businesses must continue entering customers’ full details in their monitoring registers.
New responsibilities for gaming operators
The amended rules also reinforce several security and compliance obligations for gaming venues.
Businesses must prevent individuals who are not legally eligible from entering gaming areas, display internal security and public-order regulations in Vietnamese and a foreign language, and immediately notify the police if weapons, explosives or other prohibited dangerous materials are brought onto their premises.
Casinos and electronic gaming venues serving foreign customers must also ensure that at least 30% of their security guards are supplied by licensed security service providers.
The rules further restrict the employment of individuals with unexpunged criminal convictions involving gambling, organising gambling, providing premises for illegal gambling or loan-sharking.
Fines of up to VND200 million for serious violations
A separate measure, Decree 391/2026/ND-CP, introduces a revised administrative penalty framework for betting and prize-winning gaming businesses. The decree was issued on 20 October and is scheduled to take effect on 5 December 2026.
Under the new framework, casino operators that admit ineligible individuals into gaming areas or fail to properly monitor people entering and leaving their premises may face fines of VND180 million to VND200 million.
Additional penalties may include suspension of casino operations for six to 12 months for a first offence and 12 to 24 months for repeat violations.
Failure to maintain the required entry registers or electronic records, as well as incomplete customer information, can result in fines of VND130 million to VND150 million.
The maximum administrative fine under Decree 391 is VND200 million for organisations and VND100 million for individuals. Depending on the violation, authorities may also impose temporary business suspensions and confiscate items or equipment connected with the offence.
Stronger oversight of a tightly controlled market
The regulatory changes come as Vietnam continues to maintain strict controls over domestic access to casino gambling. Only a limited number of casino resorts are authorised to admit eligible Vietnamese citizens under specific arrangements.
For operators, the introduction of VNeID offers an additional way to verify customer identities, but it also comes with reinforced obligations around eligibility checks, entry monitoring and regulatory compliance.
With the digital verification rules taking effect on 15 November and the new penalty framework following on 5 December, gaming businesses will have a short period to ensure their procedures and internal controls meet the updated requirements.