This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2015 issue of WGM.
Poker in Vietnam has just taken a giant leap forward with WGG signing on as The Grand Ho Tram Strip’s poker partner and set to hold the country’s first major tournament in May.
As if there weren’t already enough reasons to take a trip to Vietnam’s Ho Tram, WGM’s parent company World Gaming Group (WGG) has announced the signing of an agreement to create, develop and maintain poker operations at The Grand Ho Tram Strip.
WGG has already begun work on building Ho Tram’s profile as a world class poker venue with plans underway to launch a world class tournament series at the property in the second week of May. The growing popularity of poker across Asia has seen the region crying out for another reliable home and this will be just the first of a number of innovations WGG will introduce at Ho Tram in the coming months and years.
The Grand opened nearly two years ago and with many players recognizing Vietnam’s emergence as an attractive alternative to Macau, has developed into one of Asia’s must-see resort destinations under the direction of President Shaun McCamley, who took over the top job in October last year.
“The Grand has long been committed to developing and expanding gaming offerings to suit a wide variety of players from around the region and around the globe,” McCamley explained.
“In WGG we have found a partner with a legacy dating back almost two decades in Asian poker which is ideally positioned to drive our growth in this exciting area of the gaming industry. We enter this partnership with a view to bringing a truly world class poker tournament to our truly world class property here in Vietnam.”
Ho Tram offers what no other gaming destination in Asia can. Not only is it a 5-star international standard integrated resort as good as anything you will find in Macau or Las Vegas, it also boasts a pristine beach stretching more than 2km and a world class golf course designed by none other than Greg Norman.
The Bluffs will host a leg of the Asian Tour for the first time in late 2015 with 130 top PGA professionals scheduled to take part. But The Grand’s partnership with WGG and the launch of their very first major poker event is just as significant in what promises to be a ground breaking year at Ho Tram.
“We’re very excited to be partnering with The Grand Ho Tram Strip – it’s a brilliant property that is building itself a solid reputation among gamers from around the region,” said WGG CEO Andrew W Scott. “Our partnership here is set to build upon this foundation, providing us a huge platform for growth.
“We’ve been searching for a poker opportunity in Asia for a long time but quite frankly none of the properties which offered us a business partnership were up to standard. There’s no such problem at The Grand – this is a truly 5-star international standard integrated resort. It’s the only beachfront integrated resort in Asia – and for a place that is a truly relaxing total getaway it’s very accessible! With Shaun McCamley now at the helm of The Grand, I can see nothing but good things for the property in the future.”
