Vietnam's Ministry of Finance issued Document 9111/BTC-TCNH on 24 August 2023 to correct the sale of electronic lottery tickets over the internet, and followed it with Document 6858/BTC-TCNH on 2 July 2024 on lottery ticket purchase services over the internet, sent to units distributing lottery tickets through apps and websites1. Vietlott, the state electronic lottery company, restated both documents in a customer advisory published on 11 August 20251.
The ministry said lottery business is a conditional business line, and that only lottery companies, lottery agents and lottery ticket retailers may operate in it1. Buying tickets on someone else's behalf is not recognized in Vietnam's economic sector system, so authorizing a third party to buy tickets is not legal1. Units distributing tickets bought on behalf of users through apps or websites do not hold lottery business licenses and are not Vietlott agents, yet they charge users fees of 2% to 8% depending on the type of product, the advisory said1. Distribution of tickets over the internet, confirmed by email or shown in an app, has not been approved by the Ministry of Finance1.
"Hiện nay, không có quy định nào cho phép cá nhân hoặc tổ chức thực hiện mua hộ vé xổ số."
The advisory said some websites and apps run by payment intermediaries and credit institutions in northern and southern Vietnam offer to buy electronic lottery tickets on a user's behalf1. It said this carries risks of disputes and lawsuits and does not protect buyers, because the customer does not hold the ticket directly, which can mean a winner is not paid or is forced to share a prize1. It also said the practice carries risks of money laundering and tax evasion1.
Vietlott listed its own products as Mega 6/45, Power 6/55, Max 3D, Max 3D+, Max 3D Pro, Keno, Bingo18 and Lotto 5/35, and said these should be bought only through its two official sales channels: points of sale nationwide and the Vietlott SMS app1. It said tickets should not be bought over the internet through apps or websites that buy on a user's behalf, because that form is not recognized by law1. It told agents and points of sale to follow the law and the two ministry documents, and said it will report violations to the authorities1.
What it means for players
For anyone in Vietnam buying Vietlott products, the ministry's position is that a ticket bought through a third party app or website is not a ticket the buyer holds. The advisory states the customer does not directly hold the ticket, which it says can lead to a prize not being paid or to a demand to split a prize1. The 2% to 8% fee those services charge is separate from the ticket price and is not part of any approved lottery business1. Vietlott's own channels are its points of sale and the Vietlott SMS app1. The advisory does not say what happens to tickets already bought through such services, and no penalty figures for buyers appear in it. Provincial lottery tickets sold by state companies are a separate product from Vietlott's electronic games and are not addressed in the documents described here.
What happens next
Vietlott said it will report violations of the rules to the competent authorities for handling under the law1. No further dated step is given in the advisory beyond the two ministry documents of 24 August 2023 and 2 July 20241.
Sources1 sources
- KHUYẾN CÁO KHÁCH HÀNG, vietlott.vn
