Vietnam: police bust illegal gambling ring in Hanoi
Hanoi police have arrested a man who was allegedly operating an illegal online gambling ring worth $90m.
Vietnam.- Police in Hanoi have arrested a 38-year-old man who allegedly operated an illegal gambling ring made up of three online platforms. The man had allegedly hired two men to operate websites which had 18,000 registered users and recorded $90m in gambling transactions.
The man is said to have established groups that helped players place their bets and promised them immediate winnings if they followed instructions. Online gambling is illegal in Vietnam and Vietnamese citizens are only permitted to enter one casino on the southern island of Phu Quoc and one in Van Don, in the northern province of Quang Ninh.
In March, the Ministry of Finance proposed expanding the scheme that allows qualifying Vietnamese citizens to gamble to cover two future casinos. He had previously said these two projects could potentially foster tourism growth.
In May, Ho Chi Min City proposed to allow casinos at five-star hotels, which would be authorised to admit both tourists and locals aged over 18 to enter the gaming floors.
