Vietnam issues Directive 16/CT-TTg on combating gambling crimes

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang signed Directive 16/CT-TTg on 27 May 2023, a government instruction to strengthen the prevention of and fight against crimes and legal violations related to organizing gambling and gambling¹. The directive was published by the government portal on the same day¹.

The directive describes gambling crime as complex and worsening, especially online, with ringleaders mostly abroad who use technology and link up with Vietnamese nationals to build large-scale betting networks that have drawn "hàng trăm nghìn người tham gia", or hundreds of thousands of participants¹. It also flags foreigners entering Vietnam to use the country as a base for running betting websites aimed at third countries, and Vietnamese going abroad to gamble or work as agents and staff for betting firms, bookmakers and casinos¹.

The tasks are split across ministries.

• The Ministry of Public Security is to run peak campaigns to attack and break up gambling rings and gangs, manage immigration to catch foreigners entering to gamble and Vietnamese leaving to gamble illegally, and designate a focal unit to receive and handle suspicious transactions¹.
• The Ministry of Information and Communications is to have telecom and internet providers block and remove gambling websites, links and apps when a competent authority requests it, tighten management of internet and mobile subscriptions so they match the national population database, and remove unused SIM cards¹.
• Providers must store personal information and user relationship data for a minimum retention period set in the directive¹.

The State Bank of Vietnam is told to direct credit institutions and payment intermediaries to step up screening for suspicious transactions and pass information to the Ministry of Public Security, and to handle the renting, lending, buying and selling of bank accounts and e-wallets¹. The Ministry of Finance is to tighten management, inspection and supervision of casino businesses, electronic prize games for foreigners, and betting on horse racing, greyhound racing and international football¹. It is also to study whether to widen the categories of people allowed to take part in some legal betting types and whether new betting types could be legalized, and to work with provinces on lottery business so it is not used for number betting or improper ticket distribution¹.

The directive also calls for vocational training and loan support so people have suitable work and less idle time, and for stricter handling of violations by officials, public employees and armed forces personnel¹.

What it means for players

The directive does not create new offenses or change penalties. It sets enforcement priorities, so the practical effect falls on how existing rules are policed. Under Vietnam's Penal Code, unlawful gambling with stakes of VND 5 million or more is a crime for the player, and organizing gambling is a crime for the operator, with internet use raising both offenses to a higher range². Police charged 46 people in two online betting cases in July and August 2026².

For anyone in Vietnam, the online side is the focus. All online casino, online poker and online sports betting are prohibited, and there is no online license of any kind². The directive's blocking and removal instructions, plus its data retention duty on internet and telecom providers, sit alongside that¹. Land-based casinos are regulated and open to foreign passport holders; eligible Vietnamese citizens may play at Phu Quoc and under five-year pilots at Ho Tram and Van Don, subject to age, income and entry ticket conditions². Betting on horse racing, greyhound racing and international football is permitted only at racecourses, terminals and by telephone, never over the internet, with stakes capped at VND 1 million per product a day².

The directive's lottery instructions matter for ticket buyers. The Ministry of Finance has said current law does not permit selling lottery tickets over the internet or buying tickets on someone's behalf, and that such online lottery business is unlawful³. It warned that players can have money in a prize account taken, be forced to share a prize because the intermediary holds the ticket, or find a website or app gone when a large Jackpot ticket is involved, and that a photo of a ticket is not proof of ownership³. It also advised against buying foreign lottery tickets sold on websites and apps³.

What happens next

The directive assigns continuing duties rather than setting deadlines. The Ministry of Public Security is to propose that Steering Committee 138/CP step up direction, inspection and guidance for ministries and localities¹. The Ministry of Finance, other ministries and provincial people's committees are reviewing and inspecting to correct deliberate breaches of the lottery rules³. The directive also calls for review and amendment of legal provisions in areas seen as prone to abuse¹. No completion dates are given in the directive¹.

For background on what is legal, see Can I Gamble in Vietnam? and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions. On the lottery rules discussed above, see The Lottery in Vietnam: Who Can Play and How and Xổ Số Điện Toán: Vietnam's Computerized Lottery Games. On enforcement and penalties, see What Happens If You Are Caught Gambling in Vietnam.