Illegal gambling and streaming operations in Vietnam

Authorities in Vietnam have taken legal action against multiple groups involved in organized illegal gambling and related digital activities.

In Bac Ninh, police prosecuted social media personality Lê Thanh Ngọc, known as ‘Ngọc Rambo’, and five accomplices for operating an illegal lottery and numbers betting ring. The group’s activities, which spanned Bac Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City, involved transactions totaling nearly 200 million VND. Ngọc has a prior criminal record for ‘unlawful detention’ and previous administrative violations regarding social media content.

In Hung Yen, prosecutors issued an indictment against 74 defendants linked to an illegal football streaming and gambling advertisement network. Led by businessman Pham Nguyen Dung and programmer Nguyen Cong Dinh, known by the pseudonym “Batman”, the operation utilized websites such as Xoi Lac TV and Ca Khia TV to broadcast football matches for free. Dung provided the capital, including servers and hardware, while Dinh developed the technology and served as a commentator; the two reportedly split profits equally.

The network generated revenue through advertising for online betting sites. The defendants face charges including organizing gambling, gambling, spreading depraved cultural products, and copyright infringement. Vietnam Satellite Digital Television estimates preliminary losses from these streaming activities at approximately 2,207 billion VND.