Vietnam's Criminal Police Department, working with other units, summoned 30 suspects and carried out urgent searches at 11 locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and An Giang, state policy portal xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn reported on 27 August 2026. Officers seized mobile phones, computers, iPads, cash, ledgers, documents and electronic data connected to organizing and taking part in gambling1.
The ring ran online football betting and the buying and selling of lottery numbers (so lo, so de) through the Telegram app, operating in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, An Giang and other provinces and cities1. Police said the network was not run by individuals acting alone but was organized in multiple tiers, with a leader, agents, people receiving bets, managers and the gamblers themselves1. Investigators said the operators used Telegram bots, websites, apps and technology platforms to automatically take bets, manage players, calculate winnings and losses and run the operation, and that some built or rented technology platforms for the activity1.
The case is continuing to be investigated and expanded1.
Major General Bui Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the Criminal Police Department, said the operation had been almost entirely digitized compared with the past, when organizers met in person, took paper bets, kept records, calculated results and handed over cash1.
"Các đối tượng sử dụng Bot Telegram, website, ứng dụng và các nền tảng công nghệ để tự động nhận phơi, quản lý người chơi, tính tiền thắng thua và điều hành hoạt động"
The article also set out the penalties attached to the conduct.
Administrative penalties apply where conduct does not reach the criminal threshold. Under Article 36 of Decree 282/2025/ND-CP, illegal betting in sports or entertainment events can be fined 1 million to 2 million dong; soliciting or gathering others to gamble illegally, or using one's premises or means to harbor gambling, can be fined 5 million to 10 million dong; and some forms of organizing lottery betting or illegal betting can be fined 10 million to 20 million dong. Evidence and means may be confiscated and illegal profits ordered repaid1.
| Conduct | Penalty cited |
|---|---|
| Illegal betting in sports or entertainment events | 1 million to 2 million dong |
| Soliciting others to gamble, or harboring gambling on one's premises | 5 million to 10 million dong |
| Some forms of organizing lottery betting or illegal betting | 10 million to 20 million dong |
| Buying, selling, renting or lending payment accounts, 1 to under 10 accounts | 100 million to 150 million dong |
| Same, 10 accounts or more | 150 million to 200 million dong |
What it means for players
The case shows that in Vietnam the people charged are not only those taking bets but also those running groups, receiving bets, acting as agents, moving money or supplying accounts, SIM cards and devices1. Police listed the invitations they want reported: joining football betting, lottery or numbers groups; joining closed or private betting groups; working as an agent or receiving bets for commission; renting out accounts, SIM cards or e-wallets; receiving or transferring money for others; and installing or using betting apps and websites of unknown origin1.
The article states that small stakes do not mean no action. Conduct below the criminal threshold can still draw an administrative fine, and conduct meeting the legal conditions can lead to criminal prosecution1. Under the cited rules, using the internet or telecommunications networks to gamble is itself an aggravating factor that raises the prison range1. For anyone in Vietnam, including expats and visitors, the practical point is that the location of the bet and the method used, not only the amount, determine exposure. General rules for the region are set out in Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions, and the country position is covered in Can I Gamble in Vietnam?.
What happens next
The case is continuing to be investigated and expanded, and no further hearings, trial dates or additional charges have been reported1.
Sources1 sources
- Cảnh báo thủ đoạn “công nghệ hóa” hoạt động tổ chức đánh bạc, xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn
