According to a report in Vietnamnet news yesterday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has issued a decision to approve a new location for a recreational complex and casino off mainland Kien Giang Province on Phu Quoc Island.

Earlier reports had placed the development in Bai Thom Commune, and later next to Vinpearl Resort on the northwest side of the island. This decision, if it indeed translates to an official  decree, would confirm development in Ganh Dau Commune’s Bai Dai Ecotourism Area.

The report eminates from a newly revised Phu Quoc zoning development plan reportedly approved by the Prime Minister on Wednesday. The plan’s scope reaches into the year 2030.

Part of the plan approves about 567 hectares of land to be used for tourism and recreational services including a casino, resorts, golf course, and craft villages. The casino would hold over 200 gaming tables and 2,000 gaming machines. The resorts would feature some 3,000 guestrooms and extensive meeting space.

Two other casino projects on the Cam Ranh peninsula and in Khanh Hoa province are on hold in the country as the Ministry of Finance finalizes a draft decree on gambling. Many observers are expecting a loosening of the laws in Vietnam which would allow qualified citizens to gamble. Some major casino conglomerates have indicated they would be willing to invest in the country’s gaming industry if they are able to tap the local market.