Ho Chi Minh City Police announced on August 20, 2026 that they had broken up a large online betting network and prosecuted six criminal cases, detaining 40 defendants on charges of organizing gambling and gambling1. The Criminal Police Division said initial checks put the total value of transactions through the network's bank accounts at nearly 560 billion dong1.
The division opened a dedicated investigation in June 2026, and in July 2026 deployed working groups to trace the people managing and running the betting sites and issuing betting accounts to lower levels and players1. Police summoned 50 people and seized 50 mobile phones, three laptops and related documents and electronic data1.
Investigators said the network was organized into many groups and intermediary levels. They named Pham Le Dong, Nguyen Hoang Long, Nguyen Van Loi, Do Hoang Thien, Le Hoang Anh Kiet, Doan Chinh Thuan, Ho Van Dung, Nguyen Thanh Nguyen, Pham Van Kiet, Le Phi Hoang and Doan Tan Vu among those who ran, organized or placed bets directly1. Accounts were passed down through multiple tiers to widen the player network and complicate detection, police said. Some betting accounts were admitted to have come from contacts in Cambodia before being split among lower levels, and some defendants also took private bets through messaging apps worth tens to hundreds of millions of dong per match1.
"đã khởi tố 06 vụ án hình sự, khởi tố và tạm giam 40 bị can"
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Defendants prosecuted and detained | 40 |
| People summoned | 50 |
| Mobile phones seized | 50 |
| Laptops seized | 3 |
| Bank transaction value (initial) | nearly 560 billion dong |
What it means for players
Vietnam treats both organizing gambling and gambling itself as criminal offenses, and this case shows that police pursue not only the people running betting sites but also those placing bets and those who pass accounts down the chain1. The accounts in this network were traced through bank records, and police said some originated with contacts in Cambodia1. Police also warned the public not to take part in betting in any form, online or in person, and not to rent, lend, buy or sell bank accounts, phone accounts or electronic devices for others to use in illegal activity1. For players in Vietnam, the practical exposure described here runs through the bank and phone accounts used to move money and place bets, not only through the betting site itself. Background on how Vietnam treats online casino play is set out in Can I Play at Online Casinos in Vietnam? and Can I Gamble in Vietnam?, and regional enforcement against players is tracked in Have Players Been Arrested for Online Gambling in Asia? Cases by Jurisdiction.
What happens next
The investigation team said it will continue to widen the case, trace and summon related people, and clarify the source of the betting accounts, the flow of money, the role of each person and the related contacts1. Police said the remaining cases are still being documented and will be handled under the law1. No court dates or trial schedule have been reported.
