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title: "Socialist Republic of Vietnam gambling licensing, cost and supervision | advennt.io"
canonical: https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/vietnam/
source_html: /jurisdictions/vn/index.html
description: "Socialist Republic of Vietnam gambling regulation by game: 17 closed · 3 not yet assessed."
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# Socialist Republic of Vietnam gambling licensing, cost and supervision | advennt.io

[Jurisdictions](/jurisdictions/) › Socialist Republic of Vietnam

# Socialist Republic of Vietnam

National jurisdiction

Entry is practical only for land-based integrated-resort casino investors meeting the USD 2bn threshold via MOF licensing.

[17 closed · 3 not yet assessed → 20 classes](#products) Collected 25 Oct 2026 · Published 25 Oct 2026 · Changed 25 Oct 2026 [PDF](report.pdf) [Sign in for PDF](https://advennt.io/auth/) [Compare](/compare/?j=vietnam)

## Can we offer our product?

Every product class, in fixed taxonomy order. The band is what you can do; where the recorded legal status says something the band does not, it is shown beside the product.

### Player products

- CasinoProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- PokerProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- BingoProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- LotteryProhibited · ContestedXClosed
- Sports bettingState monopoly (sole exception to a general prohibition)XClosed
- Other event bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- Horse and greyhound racing betting–Not yet assessed
- Esports bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- Exchange bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- Pool betting–Not yet assessed
- Virtual event bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- Fantasy sportsProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- Skill gamesProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- Prediction marketsProhibited · Models agreeXClosed
- SweepstakesProhibitedXClosed
- Free play–Not yet assessed

### Supply roles

- Software / B2BProhibitedXClosed
- Affiliate marketingProhibitedXClosed
- Payments for gamblingProhibitedXClosed

### Settlement rail

- Crypto gamblingProhibitedXClosed

Class-level certainty is graded for 11 of 20 classes.

## Board briefing

Vietnam is a closed, prohibition-family market: no private online gambling pathway, active criminal enforcement, and payment/ISP interdiction.

#### What has changed

- Decree 147/2024 (eff. 25 Dec 2024) barred casino-style and card-based online games from licensing and compelled app-store removals; Resolution 8/2025/NQ-CP (eff. 26 Nov 2025) set casino access for qualifying Vietnamese nationals project by project: Phu Quoc (An Giang) with no stated time limit, and five-year pilots at Ho Tram (Ho Chi Minh City) from 26 Nov 2025 and at Van Don (Quang Ninh) from grant of its Certificate of Eligibility for Casino Business.

#### What to do now

- Do not pursue online entry. Land-based integrated-resort casino is the only viable route and requires USD 2bn investment plus MOF licensing. Treat any VN-facing online activity as criminal exposure.

#### What to watch

- The National Assembly's directed comprehensive lottery/betting/casino framework and the outcome of relaunched casino pilots.

## 11 answers, each dated and graded

The weather grades favourability for an operator, not legality: legality is the product table above. The left rule is our confidence: solid confirmed, dashed probable, dotted uncertain.

01 · What kind of market is this?

### Overview

Unfavourable

Vietnam's betting, casino and foreigner-electronic-gaming-machine sector moved through a significant penalty-architecture overhaul this period. Decree 391/2026/ND-CP, signed 20 October 2026 and effective 5 December 2026, replaces Decree 137/2021/ND-CP across all three activity classes and, for the f…

Full analysis · 107 words Vietnam's betting, casino and foreigner-electronic-gaming-machine sector moved through a significant penalty-architecture overhaul this period. Decree 391/2026/ND-CP, signed 20 October 2026 and effective 5 December 2026, replaces Decree 137/2021/ND-CP across all three activity classes and, for the first time, embeds a dedicated AML/CFT/proliferation-financing violation chapter within the sector-specific sanctions framework. The licensing gateway itself is unchanged; the development is entirely about what happens to an operator who falls foul of the rules once licensed. A parallel draft decree reforming lottery-sector penalties is in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, indicating the same sanctions-modernisation exercise is being extended sector by sector rather than treated as a one-off betting-and-casino revision.

- Criminal prohibition with active prosecution
- No private online licensing pathway
- Payment and ISP interdiction

Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/overview/)

02 · Can we get a licence?

### Licensing and regulation

Unfavourable

Government approval granted 26 November 2025 extended Vietnam's locals-allowed casino pilot to Grand Ho Tram Strip, making it the second venue, after Corona Resort & Casino, at which Vietnamese nationals may be admitted, under the authority of Resolution No. 8/2025/NQ-CP. This is an administrative-r…

Full analysis · 135 words Government approval granted 26 November 2025 extended Vietnam's locals-allowed casino pilot to Grand Ho Tram Strip, making it the second venue, after Corona Resort & Casino, at which Vietnamese nationals may be admitted, under the authority of Resolution No. 8/2025/NQ-CP. This is an administrative-resolution expansion of an existing pilot exception rather than a change to the underlying casino-licensing statute. The general casino-investment licensing framework continues to be governed by Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP, which sets a minimum capital commitment of US$2,000,000,000 for casino investment integrated into a resort complex; this decree-level capital requirement is unchanged and remains the structural entry barrier beneath the narrower locals-pilot exception. Together, the two instruments describe a two-tier framework: a foreign-facing casino-licensing regime built on the capital floor, and a citizen-facing pilot layer expanded, venue by venue, through resolution-level government approval.

Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/licensing/)

03 · How hard is entry, really?

### Market entry in practice

Unfavourable

Entry is practical only for land-based integrated-resort casino investors meeting the USD 2bn threshold via MOF licensing. There is no practical online entry route; attempting it incurs criminal exposure.

Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/market-entry/)

04 · What do the licences cost?

### Licence fees

Unfavourable

Casino entry under Decree 03/2017 requires integrated-resort investment of at least USD 2 billion and entry-ticket fees for Vietnamese pilot players (VND 1m/24h or VND 25m/month). No private online licensing fee exists.

Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/fees/)

05 · What is the tax take?

### Tax

Unfavourable

Casino operations attract special consumption tax and corporate tax under MOF guidance; sports betting is reported to carry a 5% revenue levy. No private online gambling tax regime exists because no licensing pathway exists.

Uncertain AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/taxes/)

06 · Can we move player money?

### Payments and banking

Unfavourable

PSP availability for gambling is effectively nil. SBV directs banks and e-wallets (MoMo, ZaloPay, VNPay) to block gambling transactions; cross-border gambling remittances are prohibited under foreign-exchange and AML rules.

Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/payments/)

07 · Can we advertise?

### Marketing

Unfavourable

Gambling advertising for unlicensed/prohibited products is unlawful; promotion of illegal gambling can constitute organising/facilitation. State lottery and licensed casinos advertise within strict limits.

Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/marketing/)

08 · What must the platform meet?

### Technical compliance

Unfavourable

No technical standards exist for private online gambling because none is licensed. Decree 147/2024 imposes mobile-number player verification and minor-protection controls on (non-gambling) online games; casino tech standards sit under Decree 03/2017 and Circular 102/2017/TT-BTC.

Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/technical/)

09 · Can we ship through apps and platforms?

### Distribution and platforms

Unfavourable

Decree No. 147/2024/ND-CP, effective 25 December 2024 and replacing the decade-old Decree 72/2013/ND-CP, mandates data localisation and requires Vietnamese mobile-number or ID-credential user verification for online games and internet information services. This is a mixed-durability instrument -- an…

Full analysis · 98 words Decree No. 147/2024/ND-CP, effective 25 December 2024 and replacing the decade-old Decree 72/2013/ND-CP, mandates data localisation and requires Vietnamese mobile-number or ID-credential user verification for online games and internet information services. This is a mixed-durability instrument -- an enabling decree carrying delegated implementation detail -- that materially tightens the distribution environment for any gambling-adjacent online platform, indirectly constraining how such services can be marketed or accessed even where the underlying activity is not itself gambling. The requirement sits on top of the standing prohibition on online gambling, reinforcing rather than relaxing control over the online channel this cycle.

Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/distribution/)

10 · How hard does the regulator enforce?

### Enforcement

Unfavourable

Decree 391/2026/ND-CP, signed 20 October 2026, takes effect 5 December 2026 and replaces Decree 137/2021/ND-CP, the prior penalty instrument for betting, casino and foreigner-EGM operations. It sets a top fine of VND 200,000,000 for organisations and VND 100,000,000 for individuals. Two new or mater…

Full analysis · 123 words Decree 391/2026/ND-CP, signed 20 October 2026, takes effect 5 December 2026 and replaces Decree 137/2021/ND-CP, the prior penalty instrument for betting, casino and foreigner-EGM operations. It sets a top fine of VND 200,000,000 for organisations and VND 100,000,000 for individuals. Two new or materially expanded violation categories sit within the revised schedule: a VND 160,000,000-180,000,000 band for a betting operator extending credit to a bettor to facilitate wagering, and a VND 130,000,000-150,000,000 band for selling betting tickets to ineligible persons, neither separately addressed under the 2021 decree. Until 5 December, the outgoing decree remains the operative instrument. No gazette-verified article numbers for these bands were located this period; sourcing rests on Vietnamese-language secondary reporting. No enforcement action under either decree has been reported.

Confirmed AI-generated 7 enforcement events [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/enforcement/)

11 · What is coming?

### Outlook

Mixed

Direction is mixed: Decree 147/2024 tightened the online environment by barring casino-style games, while Resolution 8/2025/NQ-CP reopened land-based casino access for nationals, permitting Phu Quoc with no stated time limit and five-year pilots at Ho Tram and Van Don and a National Assembly resolut…

Full analysis · 58 words Direction is mixed: Decree 147/2024 tightened the online environment by barring casino-style games, while Resolution 8/2025/NQ-CP reopened land-based casino access for nationals, permitting Phu Quoc with no stated time limit and five-year pilots at Ho Tram and Van Don and a National Assembly resolution (Apr 2025) directed a comprehensive gambling framework. No imminent private online liberalisation is expected.

Probable AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/vietnam/outlook/)

Evidential record & source register 0 enforcement · 26 red flags · 14 sources · Expand full record

## What gets operators fined

26 red flags (10 high, 11 medium, 1 low) and 0 controls that address them.

- highParticipation in illegal gambling above VND 5mArt.321 criminalises participation; aggravated forms up to 7 years.Source 9 · T3
- highDistributing gambling apps via Apple/Google in VNDecree 147/2024 compels removal of violating apps.Source 4 · T2
- highAdvertising gambling to VN audiencesPromotion of illegal gambling can constitute facilitation/organising.Source 5 · T2
- highSelling lottery online or proxy-buying foreign lotteryMOF declared online lottery sale and proxy-buying illegal.Source 2 · T1
- highSupplying gambling platform/software locallyNo B2B agrément exists; supply implicates organising-gambling liability.Source 8 · T3
- highCrypto-funded gamblingCrypto is unrecognised and increasingly enforcement-targeted.Source 1 · T1
- highOffering online poker / cash games to localsCard games of chance for money are explicitly banned.Source 4 · T2
- highAllowing non-qualifying Vietnamese nationals to gamblePilot access is tightly conditioned (21+, income, ticket).Source 8 · T3
- highCross-border gambling remittanceProhibited under SBV foreign-exchange management.Source 1 · T1
- highAffiliate marketing of offshore operatorsFacilitation exposure; revenue-share arrangements prohibited.Source 10 · T3
- mediumHosting prize-draw livestreams ('blind bag')Treated as organising gambling under Art.321.Source 5 · T2
- mediumReliance on dormant Decree 06/2017 betting pilotEffective market access is negligible; scope limited and capped.Source 13 · T3
- mediumAssuming no localisation/operation requirementsDecree 147/2024 requires cross-border providers to establish domestic operations.Source 4 · T2
- mediumVietnamese citizen organising gambling abroadPenal Code Art.6 allows prosecution of citizens for crimes committed abroad.Source 1 · T1
- mediumAssuming imminent online liberalisationDirection is mixed; online further tightened in 2024.Source 12 · T3
- mediumFailing player verification under Decree 147Mobile-number verification and minor controls are mandatory for online games.Source 6 · T2
- mediumUnderestimating casino capital thresholdIntegrated-resort casino requires USD 2bn minimum investment.Source 8 · T3
- mediumSponsorship linking brand to gamblingGambling sponsorship/marketing effectively banned.Source 5 · T2
- mediumAssuming non-prosecution of individual playersUnlike many markets, individual players have been detained/fined in VN.Source 9 · T3
- mediumReliance on VPN access to offshore sitesAccess interdiction is systematic; legal protection absent.Source 4 · T2
- mediumOffering esports betting to localsProhibited — outside permitted betting scope (racing/intl football).Source 13 · T3
- lowAssuming clear online gambling tax regimeNo online tax regime exists because no licensing exists.Source 4 · T2
- criticalOffering online gambling to VN nationalsArt.322 organising gambling carries up to 10 years' imprisonment.Source 10 · T3
- criticalSeeking a private online gambling licenceNo pathway exists; Decree 147/2024 bars casino-style/card online games.Source 4 · T2
- criticalRouting gambling funds through VN banks/e-walletsSBV directs blocking; remittances prohibited; AML predicate exposure.Source 1 · T1
- criticalHandling illegal gambling proceedsDesignated predicate offence under AML Law 2012 (amended 2022).Source 1 · T1

## Worked scenarios

5 entry scenarios, each with the move we would make.

#### Offshore casino operator wants to accept VN-national players via .com site.

Constitutes organising gambling under Art.322; payments will be blocked; apps removed under Decree 147.

Do this: Do not target VN nationals; geo-block.

Source 10 · T3 Source 4 · T2

#### B2B platform supplier seeks a Vietnamese licence.

No B2B agrément class exists (absent_no_pathway).

Do this: No viable licensing; supply implicates organising-gambling liability.

Source 8 · T3

#### Integrated-resort developer evaluates casino entry.

Requires USD 2bn investment, integrated-resort structure, MOF licensing; foreigner access plus conditioned national pilot.

Do this: Viable but capital-intensive and long-timeline.

Source 8 · T3 Source 3 · T2

#### Fintech wants to process payments for an offshore betting brand.

SBV directs blocking; illegal gambling proceeds are AML predicate; indefensible risk.

Do this: Decline.

Source 1 · T1

#### Social-media creator runs paid 'blind bag' prize livestreams.

Treated as organising gambling under Art.321 with criminal/administrative exposure.

Do this: Cease pay-to-play prize formats.

Source 5 · T2

## What we looked for and could not find

Confirmed absence is a finding of its own. These are the questions we searched and could not answer from a citable source, with the searches we ran. Never behind the paywall.

Market opportunity. no published T1/T2 GGR or market-size figure for Vietnam gambling; offshore market unquantified.

- searched: Vietnam gambling market size GGR estimate
- searched: Vietnam online betting illegal market value USD
- searched: Vietlott annual revenue 2024
- checked: en.vneconomy.vn

Competitive landscape. no T1 licensed-operator count or unlicensed-share figure published.

- searched: Vietnam licensed casino count 2025
- searched: Vietnam Vietlott subscriber numbers
- searched: Vietnam illegal betting market share
- checked: vietnam.vn

Enforcement and liability. MPS/C06 gambling prosecution statistics and MIC blocking-list counts (2024-2025) not published at T1/T2.

- searched: Vietnam C06 gambling arrests statistics 2024
- searched: MIC gambling website blocking count 2025
- searched: Vietnam gambling prosecution numbers annual
- checked: vietnamnews.vn

## Source register

Every source on a four-step tier scale. A claim is never shown at a stronger tier than the source it cites.

14 sources · 2 tier 1 · 5 tier 2 · 7 tier 3

No. Source Tier Verification

1 VN-PENAL-CODE-2015 T1 of 4 Source 1 · Open in drawer →

2 VN-VIETLOTT-MOF T1 of 4 Source 2 · Open in drawer →

3 VN-RESOLUTION-8-2025 T2 of 4 Source 3 · Open in drawer →

4 VN-DECREE-147-2024 T2 of 4 Source 4 · Open in drawer →

5 VN-ENF-BLINDBAG T2 of 4 Source 5 · Open in drawer →

6 VN-DECREE-147-LICENSING T2 of 4 Source 6 · Open in drawer →

7 VN-ZICO-DECREE03 T2 of 4 Source 7 · Open in drawer →

8 VN-DECREE-03-2017 T3 of 4 Source 8 · Open in drawer →

9 VN-PENAL-321 T3 of 4 Source 9 · Open in drawer →

10 VN-PENAL-322 T3 of 4 Source 10 · Open in drawer →

11 VN-DECREE-145-2024 T3 of 4 Source 11 · Open in drawer →

12 VN-NA-RESOLUTION-2025 T3 of 4 Source 12 · Open in drawer →

13 VN-DECREE-06-2017 T3 of 4 Source 13 · Open in drawer →

14 VN-PHUQUOC-2025 T3 of 4 Source 14 · Open in drawer →

### Claims with their own provenance

Penal Code Art.321 criminalises illegal gambling with stakes from VND 5m; penalties include fines and imprisonment up to 7 years in aggravated form.

VN-CP-001 · T3 of 4 (asserted T1, shown at its source's tier) · published 1 Jan 2024 · Confirmed

Pipeline-sourced · From Advennt research · Rule detail not yet extracted

Source 9 · T3