In Vietnam, the nation’s Ministry of Planning and Investment has reportedly recommended that the Laguna Lang Co beach resort near the historic city of Hue be given permission to operate a casino that would be open to local and foreign players.

According to a report from GGRAsia, the blessing passed on to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc means that the unidentified developer behind the casino plan may soon be given the right to open a facility by 2021 offering 500 slots and 50 gaming tables while this complement could later be grown to encompass some 2,000 slots alongside approximately 200 gaming tables.

GGRAsia reported that the Ministry of Planning and Investment recommendation would see the development in Thua Thien Hue province permitted to increase its capital budget by just over 71% to $300 million and boost its total investment from $874 million to $2 billion. The former could purportedly see the Laguna Lang Co resort construct up to six five-star hotels as well as around 2,200 apartments and villas. The latter would permit the development to take part in an upcoming three-year trial on allowing local economically-qualified players to gamble inside its planned casino.

Opened in 2013 by Singapore-listed Banyan Tree Holdings Limited and currently consisting of a 229-room hotel, a 57-unit villa complex and an 18-hole golf course designed by Sir Nick Faldo, the Laguna Lang Co resort has reportedly drawn interest for its planned casino from the likes of Hard Rock International. Daniel Cheng, Asia Casino Development Senior Vice-President for the American firm, purportedly told GGRAsia in July that his company had ‘finished all the site studies and completed all project financing’ in regards to the projected Vietnamese casino.