Vietnam online gambling site betting $VND1.6 trillion taken down

Police in Vietnam have taken down an online gambling casino that allegedly took over $VND1.6 trillion (USD $69 million) in bets and arrested 13 people.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security said the online betting site was targeting Vietnamese gamblers despite the fact site was hosted on overseas servers. The gambling site was in multiple languages and targeted gamblers in Hanoi, Hai Phong City and Thai Binh Province in the North; Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province in the South.

A 41 year old male Vietnamese national is alleged to have been in charge of the casino operation and has been taken in to custody. Of the 13 people arrested, six will be charged with organising illegal gambling online while others will be charged with gambling offences.

Vietnamese police also took possession of $240,000 worth of cars, computers and mobile phones thought to be the proceeds of crime.

In 2017, Vietnamese legalised sports betting and have since allowed casino gambling in a casino in the southern Phu Quoc Island for citizens aged over 21 with a monthly income of at least $VND10 million.

All other forms of gambling remain illegal.