Vietnam proposes full ID disclosure for football bettors, keeps daily betting cap at $380

01-10-2020 |  

Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice has proposed requiring full personal identification from individuals placing legal bets on football, horse racing, and dog racing, while the Ministry of Finance has rejected calls to raise betting limits, maintaining a daily cap of $380 per person at a single licensed operator, according to local media outlet Tuoi Tre News.

The measures are set out in a draft decree being prepared by the Ministry of Finance to replace Decree 06, issued in 2017, which regulates betting on horse racing, dog racing, and international football. The finance ministry recently published a summary of feedback and official responses from public and inter-agency consultations on the draft.

According to the consultation document, the Ministry of Justice recommended adding detailed requirements on the personal information bettors must provide when opening betting accounts. The proposed disclosures include full name, nationality, occupation, phone number, address, and place of residence. The justice ministry said the requirement is necessary to ensure consistency with the 2022 Law on Anti-Money Laundering.

In response, the finance ministry said it has accepted the recommendation and revised the draft decree to include comprehensive identity verification requirements, making full identification a core condition for participation in regulated betting activities.

Finance ministry rejects proposal to raise betting limits

On betting limits, however, the finance ministry rejected a proposal from the Ministry of Science and Technology to substantially raise the maximum daily betting cap.

The proposal suggested allowing bets of up to VND100 million ($3,800) per person per day, or VND10 million ($380) per day for each betting product, rather than applying a single daily aggregate cap. The ministry argued that a higher ceiling would help licensed operators attract high-spending customers and compete more effectively with illegal betting markets, with risks managed through measures such as bettor identification, cash-flow monitoring, and risk warnings.

The finance ministry disagreed, stressing that betting activities are intended to meet demand for regulated, recreational gambling rather than encourage high-stakes wagering. Citing Vietnam’s current average income of about $5,000 per capita per year, the draft decree maintains a maximum betting limit of $380 per person per day at a single licensed operator.

The ministry said the cap reflects income realities and is designed to prevent excessive betting that could affect public order and social security. The draft was therefore submitted to the government with the limit unchanged.

It is also worth noting that in September, the Ministry of Finance proposed raising the daily limit for legal international football betting to VND10 million ($380), a tenfold increase from the current ceiling of VND1 million ($38), citing Vietnam’s rising per capita income.

Eligible football competitions expanded under revised draft

The consultation process also addressed the scope of football competitions eligible for legal betting. Several ministries called for clearer criteria to expand the list of international football matches and tournaments permitted under the regime. The finance ministry noted that existing rules limit eligibility to tournaments announced by FIFA, resulting in only about four to eight tournaments per year, each lasting between 10 and 30 days, reducing the sector’s attractiveness to investors.

In response to comments from the Ministry of Public Security, the revised draft broadens eligibility to include major, reputable, and highly professional tournaments widely followed by Vietnamese fans. These include competitions organized by UEFA, AFC, CONMEBOL, and CONCACAF. National leagues and cup competitions from countries ranked in FIFA’s Top 10 as of the previous December would also be included.

For international football betting, the draft allows a pilot program with a maximum of three licensed companies. The finance ministry said that because football betting is a sensitive business with nationwide public order implications and money-laundering risks, the authority to select pilot operators rests with the prime minister under the Law on Investment.

Source: AGBrief