22 arrested over alleged poker game at 5-star hotel in Vietnam

Police seized VND1bn (US$42,517).

Vietnam.- Police have arrested 22 people for allegedly playing poker at a 5-star hotel in Vinh Yen Town in the northern Vinh Phuc Province. According to VnExpress, officers seized VND1bn ($42,517). Many of those arrests were reportedly golf players. They have not been named.

While poker is llegal in Vietname in tournaments run by the Vietnam Bridge and Poker Association, organising spontaneous poker tournaments is not. Police are expected to investigate the arrested individuals to determine their level of involvement in gambling and to pursue legal action against them.

Study finds illegal gambling ads common on Facebook in Vietnam

Earlier this week, a recent survey by VnExpress revealed that Facebook is showing illegal gambling and adult content ads in Vietnam, including to accounts whose owners have not searched for such content. The study found that 96 per cent of respondents had come across gambling ads on Facebook, along with content they found “disgusting”. Some 81 per cent said such ads were common.

Users said that the ads appear at specific times of day: gambling ads in the afternoon and adult content in the evening. The contentious ads were frequently livestreams directing users to gambling websites.