Tag: ha long casino

  • Ha Long Casino Operator Surges to Profitability After Six Years in the Red

    Ha Long Casino Operator Surges to Profitability After Six Years in the Red

    Royal International Corporation, the force behind the Royal Ha Long Casino in northern Vietnam, is celebrating a crucial turnaround as it recorded its first profit in six years during the second quarter of 2025.

    In a notable revival, the company posted profits of VND10 billion (approximately US$382,500), with revenues soaring 31% year-on-year to reach VND46.9 billion, a peak not seen in over five years. This impressive performance was attributed to the economic rebound, particularly within the service and tourism sectors, which had experienced significant downturns in recent years.

    Last year, the same period saw Royal International grapple with a loss of VND2 billion. It’s worth noting that the firm last enjoyed profitable waters back in the third quarter of 2019, when the cards were evidently in their favor.

    Looking forward, Royal International Corporation sets ambitious targets for the full year, aiming for revenues of VND187 billion and post-tax profits of VND34 billion. To achieve these goals, the company plans to exercise tight control over fixed and financial costs, particularly interest expenses, while also boosting revenues through strategic initiatives.

    Established in 1994, Royal International Corporation comprises a casino, hotel, and luxurious villas in the scenic Ha Long Bay area of Quang Ninh Province, which shares a border with China. Notably, the company made its debut on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in 2007. However, in May 2022, it faced delisting after three consecutive years of losses, which led to its shift to the Unlisted Public Company Market. Yet, there’s a silver lining: its stock is currently trading at VND5,500, experiencing a remarkable increase of over 57% since the start of the year—employment definitely wasn’t the only thing rising lately.

    Questions & Answers

    What factors contributed to Royal International Corporation’s recent profitability?
    The improved profitability stemmed from a recovery in the service and tourism sectors, which are vital for the company’s operations, alongside a significant increase in revenues by 31% year-on-year.

    What are the future financial targets for Royal International Corporation?
    For the full year 2025, the company aims to achieve revenues of VND187 billion and post-tax profits of VND34 billion, focusing on cost control and increasing revenue streams.

    What challenges has Royal International Corporation faced in recent years?
    The company dealt with six consecutive years of losses, culminating in its stock being delisted in May 2022 after three years of declining performance, before being transferred to the Unlisted Public Company Market.

  • Ha Long casino operator mostly dependent on lodging income

    Ha Long casino operator mostly dependent on lodging income

    The operator of The Royal Casino in Ha Long Town posted VND8 billion ($345,000) in Q3 post-tax profit, mostly from its lodging business.

    This is the first quarterly profit that the company, Royal International, has made, even though all four quarters last year ended in the black, its third-quarter financial report shows.

    However, the company’s casino business still suffers losses. January-September casino revenue at The Royal Casino, the largest in the northern Quang Ninh Province, was just VND60 billion ($2.6 million), or 36.8 percent of the total, with the rest coming from its hotel and villas.

    As the casino business is seasonal, the revenue generated from it is unstable as it depends on the number of players and on luck, the company said.

    Another reason is the increasing number of casinos in neighboring countries such as Cambodia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, scattering potential gamblers.

    The company plans to find a partner this year to invest in a 33-story twin-tower hotel to increase revenues from lodging, as well as karaoke, massage and other services.

    In the first nine months of this year, Royal International’s revenue was VND163 billion ($7 million), less than half of the year’s target.

    It suffered a loss of over VND70 billion ($3 million) after-tax, compared to a profit of VND18 billion ($776,000) in the same period last year.

    The company’s still some distance away from achieving its target of VND38 billion ($1.64 million) in after-tax profit for the whole year.

    Vietnam has seven casinos, six of which are open only to foreign passport holders

     The government still treats gambling as a social evil, although it has loosened its restrictions on it in recent years.

    Last year the government approved a three-year trial project allowing Vietnamese residents to enter a casino on Phu Quoc Island on a pilot basis if they can meet certain conditions.

    Vietnamese who want to gamble must be over 21 years, earn a minimum of VND10 million ($430) a month and have no criminal record or objections from family. The entry fee is VND1 million ($43) for 24 hours or VND25 million ($1,077) a month.

  • Vietnam’s Ha Long casino continues to lose staff on poor business performance

    Vietnam’s Ha Long casino continues to lose staff on poor business performance

    Ha Long’s only casino continues to lose employees due to a number of reasons, including its persistent losses. Hoang Gia Joint Stock Corporation (RIC) in Ha Long, Vietnam’s resort city, which runs the Casino Gaming Club, said the number of employees has fallen by 275 now compared to the beginning of the year.

    It has less than 1,200 employees remaining. Last year 514 had quit.

    The main reasons, the company admitted, are the casino’s poor business and competitors’ talent attraction policies.

    Revenues increased by 23 percent in the first nine months of this year to VND187 billion ($8 million), but it lost VND14 billion ($597,555).

    Another problem for the casino is the sluggish progress of transport infrastructure works in the region, such as Van Don airport and the Ha Noi – Ha Long Highway, which prevents more foreign tourists, mainly from China, Japan and South Korea, from coming here.

    The company targets revenue and profit after tax this year of $15.9 million and $1.5 million. Casino operations are expected to account for around 63 percent of the revenue with the rest generated by hotels and villas the company owns.

    The owner of the company is Khai Tiep International Investment Limited, registered in the Cayman Islands.