Police in Ho Chi Minh City have charged 12 more suspects in connection with two online football betting syndicates that allegedly handled more than VNĐ3.5 trillion (US$132.6 million) in wagers, bringing the total number of people prosecuted in the case to 971. The HCM City Police Investigation Agency said on Tuesday that the additional suspects had been charged with organizing gambling and gambling following further investigation into the football betting networks dismantled late last month1.
Investigators said the two syndicates had operated from October 2025 until they were dismantled, processing an estimated VNĐ3.5 trillion in betting transactions1. Police allege that Huỳnh Lê Thanh Long and several associates obtained high-level "Master" betting accounts from operators in Cambodia before dividing them into multiple "Agent" and "Member" accounts that allowed bettors in HCM City and other provinces to place wagers through the Bong88.com website1. Authorities described the operation as a large-scale, tightly organized network with a hierarchical structure spanning multiple localities1.
The case was uncovered as part of a nationwide crackdown ordered by the Ministry of Public Security targeting football betting and other gambling-related crimes during the 2026 FIFA World Cup1. Police said 150 people have so far been summoned for questioning as investigators continue gathering evidence and identifying additional suspects1.
"the additional suspects had been charged with organizing gambling and gambling"
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Newly charged | 12 suspects |
| Total prosecuted | 97 people |
| Summoned for questioning | 150 people |
| Alleged wagers handled | More than VNĐ3.5 trillion (US$132.6 million) |
| Operating period | October 2025 until dismantled |
| Platform named | Bong88.com |
| Accounts sourced from | Operators in Cambodia |
What it means for players
The case concerns football betting accounts that police say were sourced from operators in Cambodia and then split into "Agent" and "Member" tiers for bettors in HCM City and other provinces1. The charges of organizing gambling and gambling indicate that Vietnamese authorities are pursuing both those who ran the network and those who placed wagers through it, and that the investigation is still identifying additional suspects1.
Vietnam's legal position on gambling, and the penalties that apply, are set out in the site's gambling laws guide. The Bong88.com accounts described in the case are the kind of offshore, agent-based arrangement covered in the guide to illegal bookmakers in Asia, and the wider pattern of enforcement against offshore operators is covered in the guide to crackdowns on offshore online gambling hubs. Whether players themselves have faced arrest in Vietnam and elsewhere is tracked in the guide to enforcement against players.
What happens next
Police said 150 people have so far been summoned for questioning as investigators continue gathering evidence and identifying additional suspects, and that further investigation is ongoing1. No further court dates, hearings or sentencing details have been reported1.
