Vietnam lottery industry faces audit and proposed debt reforms

The State Audit Office of Vietnam has called for a review of over 21.7 billion VND in guest reception expenses incurred by three lottery companies in Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Can Tho during 2024 and 2025. The Hau Giang Lottery Company recorded the highest expenditure at over 14 billion VND, followed by Soc Trang with over 5.1 billion VND and Can Tho with over 2.6 billion VND. Auditors noted that several payment vouchers lacked clear details regarding the specific guests or business purposes, making it difficult to prove these costs were necessary for business operations.

Separately, the Ministry of Finance is proposing amendments to lottery business regulations to tighten financial discipline. A key proposal includes shortening the debt repayment period for traditional lottery and lotto agents from a maximum of 21 days to no more than 7 days. This move aims to mitigate risks associated with high debt levels; in the Southern region alone, agent debt reached 7.628 trillion VND in 2025.

Over the past 13 years, Vietnam's lottery industry has generated nearly 1.38 quadrillion VND in revenue and provides livelihoods for approximately 500,000 vendors. The industry currently comprises 63 provincial lottery companies and Vietlott, which operates under the Ministry of Finance.