Vietnam's National Assembly Standing Committee issued Resolution 1035/NQ-UBTVQH15 on April 8, 2024, tasking the Government and the Ministry of Finance with completing the legal framework for lotteries, betting, casinos and prize games, according to state news portal baochinhphu.vn1. The resolution sets a deadline of no later than 2025 to finish amending Decree 06/2017/ND-CP on betting on horse racing, dog racing and international football1.
The decree has not taken effect in practice because of difficulties and obstacles during application, Nguyen Anh Tuan, vice chairman of the Foreign Investment Enterprises Association, told a November 28 seminar in Hanoi on proposed amendments to the decree1. Tuoi Tre reported that the same resolution requires the legal framework for lotteries, betting, casinos and prize games to be completed in 20252.
Speakers at the seminar put figures on the market.
- Can Van Luc, chief economist at BIDV, said global revenue from games and betting-related activity is 70 billion USD, forecast to reach 141 billion USD by 20301.
- He said a British company estimates Vietnam's betting revenue, formal and informal, at 3 to 5 percent of GDP1.
- Hoang Ngoc Nhat, chairman of Thien Phuc JSC, said Vietnamese bettors spend at least 5 to 6 billion USD a year and at most 9 to 10 billion USD, mostly on football betting, with most of the money flowing abroad1.
Tuoi Tre reported that Vietnam ranks fourth among 20 Asian countries for gambling activity based on casino operations and player numbers, but lacks the legal framework to manage and tax it effectively2. A 2022 TGMResearch survey cited at the seminar found 80 percent of sports bettors worldwide bet through the internet or a mobile app, and that in Vietnam 91 percent of illegal betting players use internet or mobile app channels2.
Proposed changes aired at the seminar included allowing betting businesses nationwide once licensed rather than in 20 pilot provinces and cities, and issuing licenses for all three distribution methods (on-track and off-track terminals, telephone, internet) from the start1. Can Van Luc proposed barring people who are bankrupt, have unpaid debts, receive benefits or have broken the law, and setting a player age1. Iain Child of Penta Investments, speaking for Fortuna Entertainment Group, said more than 80 percent of the betting market should be run by licensed operators1.
"Chúng tôi đã góp phần giảm được nạn cá cược đen tại 10 quốc gia châu Âu, với hơn 100 triệu dân. Chúng tôi kỳ vọng làm được việc này tại Việt Nam"
What it means for players
Nothing changes immediately. Decree 06 remains the operative text for betting on horse racing, dog racing and international football, and the amendments are still at the drafting and consultation stage1. The 20-province pilot limit, the distribution methods and the licensing process described at the seminar are proposals, not rules in force2. For now, the legal channels for sports and racing bets in Vietnam are those already permitted under Decree 06, and the seminar's own figures indicate most betting by Vietnamese players happens outside them1. Casino play by Vietnamese nationals is governed by a separate pilot arrangement that is not part of this resolution2.
What happens next
Resolution 1035 requires the amendment of Decree 06/2017/ND-CP to be completed no later than 20251. The November 28 seminar was a consultation on the draft amendments, organized by the Foreign Investment Enterprises Association1. No date has been reported for the government's adoption of the amended decree.
For background on the rules in the region, see Recent and Pending Gambling Law Changes in Asia and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions. Country detail is in Can I Gamble in Vietnam? and Table Games at Vietnam's Casinos. Sport-specific rules are covered in Is Sports Betting Legal in Asia? and Where Horse Racing Betting Is Legal in Asia.
