Gambling Laws in Vietnam

Several forms of gambling in Vietnam are considered to be legal in the country. Within the Vietnamese gambling legislation, the Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP on casino business operations, which is on the force since March 2017, represents the main regulatory act of all gambling activities in the country. According to this act, forms of land-based casino games are legal in Vietnam, only within specially designated tourist areas in the country. Under this decree Vietnamese citizens, who were previously denied access to gambling facilities, are now allowed to gamble in these touristic gambling zones. According to the same decree, online gambling in Vietnam is fully prohibited.

The authority on the land-based activities in the country is the Prime Minister of Vietnam. According to Vietnamese gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Online Casinos in Vietnam

Since 2017, there are several licensed land-based casino operators in Vietnam, whose aim is to serve the tourists in the country. Access to the casinos is allowed for Vietnamese citizens too. As online gambling is prohibited in the country there are no online casinos in Vietnam. Due to this prohibition, most of the Asian based internet casino sites do not have offers for Vietnamese citizens.

Online Poker in Vietnam

Poker in Vietnam can be played only within the tourist areas designated for legal gambling in the country. However, although there are no specific Vietnamese online poker laws, the general prohibition on poker and other card games played for money in the country, holds for the online version of this game too. Foreign internet poker sites in Vietnam are actively being blocked from accessing the Vietnamese market.

Online lottery in Vietnam

Lotteries in Vietnam have a huge tradition, but only recently have adopted the Western style of printed lotto tickets. Currently there are various land-based lotto operators in the country. However, as of June 2018, there are no online lotteries in Vietnam. Although there are no separate Vietnamese online lottery laws, the general prohibition on gambling holds for lotto too.

Online bingo in Vietnam

There are no specific Vietnamese online bingo laws. Therefore, the general regulations regarding most of the gambling games in Vietnam apply and online bingo is considered to be illegal in the country. Consequently, as of June 2018, there are no specialized sites for online bingo in Vietnam. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, are actively being blocked from accessing the Vietnamese market.

Online sports betting in Vietnam

Land-based sports betting in Vietnam is legal under the Decree 06 from 2017. According to the Decree, there are three types of betting that are permitted in the country: those on horse racing, greyhound racing and international football matches. However, due to the general prohibition of online gambling games in the country, online sportsbook sites in Vietnam are illegal. Some foreign internet sportsbook sites, licensed elsewhere in Asia, do accept Vietnamese citizens as players.

Online daily fantasy sports in Vietnam

Online DFS sites in Vietnam do not have a legally regulated status. But considering the illegality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports won’t receive a legal status in  near future in Vietnam.