Four arrested as Vietnam police bust illegal online sports betting ring

The Vietnamese police report the dismantling of an illegal online sports betting enterprise which operated via a Philippines gambling website and generated US$26 million in just over a year of operations.

Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the bust and have admitted involvement, and others are under investigation, according to the police. Investigators claim that thousands of people across Vietnam used the service.

Gambling is illegal in Vietnam apart from the state-run lottery and a few casinos which are only open to foreigners. The government has moved to ease restrictions, introducing a pilot programme in 2017 that would allow wagers on a limited number of international football matches and adopting a law earlier this month that permits state-sanctioned betting subject to a maximum stake of US$44 per match.

Under Vietnam’s criminal code, anyone participating in unauthorised gambling or organising gambling could face up to 10 years in jail.