Police in the central Vietnamese province of Nghệ An, working with the Ministry of Public Security and local forces elsewhere, dismantled an online gambling and money laundering ring operating through the Sunwin website and arrested 27 suspects1. The arrests were announced on June 9 and 10, 20261.
Eighteen suspects were held on money laundering allegations and nine on gambling allegations1. Officers seized 27 mobile phones and six computer sets1.
Investigators said the network took bets on sic bo, casino games, card games and football betting through Sunwin, with members communicating on Telegram and changing transaction accounts to avoid detection1. Proceeds were moved through layered bank accounts and converted into the cryptocurrency USDT, according to police1. Authorities estimated the network moved about VNĐ75 billion, or roughly US$2.9 million, between May 2025 and May 20261.
Police named Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, born 1988 and resident in Ho Chi Minh City, as the alleged ringleader, accusing him of directly managing the Sunwin website and overseeing the laundering operation1. VnExpress gave his age as 383. Police said he directed Lê Quốc Huy, born 1989, and others to buy USDT on exchanges and send it to wallets he controlled1.
"khởi tố bị can và ra lệnh tạm giam đối với 18 bị can về tội “rửa tiền”, 09 bị can về tội “đánh bạc”"
The department said the operation was part of a heightened campaign against gambling and football betting during the 2026 World Cup1.
What it means for players
Vietnam treats unlicensed online gambling and betting as criminal offenses, and this case shows enforcement reaching both organizers and the money flows behind a site. The Sunwin brand is named in the case as the platform used1. Anyone with an account or unsettled balance on a site named in a police action faces the practical risk that deposits, withdrawals and account access stop without notice, and that transaction records become evidence. The mechanics described here, layered bank accounts and conversion to USDT, are the same ones that leave ordinary players unable to trace or recover money when a platform is disrupted. For background on how such cases have been handled across the region, see Have Players Been Arrested for Online Gambling in Asia? Cases by Jurisdiction and Crackdowns on Offshore Online Gambling Hubs in Asia. The general legal position is set out in Online Gambling in Asia: The Law for Players in 12 Jurisdictions and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions. Players who cannot withdraw from a site can find steps in When an Online Gambling Site Won't Pay Out: What Players Can Do, and reporting routes are covered in Scammed by a Gambling Site? What to Do First: Bank, Evidence and Police Report.
What happens next
Police said they have opened criminal proceedings, charged the 27 suspects and placed them in temporary detention, and that the investigation is being expanded1. No trial date or further court schedule has been reported. The authorities urged the public not to take part in football betting or any other form of illegal gambling and to report suspected violations to police1.
