Vietnam continues to accelerate its transformation of domestic betting regulations, shifting how players are able to engage with sports betting.
The latest developments could see players in Vietnam subjected to an intensified set of rules for betting on international football.
Local media reports that the Ministry of Finance has proposed a limit of VND 10m (£314) per day, in comparison to the current cap of VND 1m.
On the surface, this is a tenfold increase. However, the current limit is tied to each category of bet available, which can be between 10 and 15 for an international football match.
Therefore, the newly proposed cap would effectively be lower than the current limit.
According to the finance ministry, the change has been mooted because Vietnam’s per capita income has increased by 1.8 to approximately £3,500, and the new cap is designed to prevent excessive gambling.
Other requirements under the draft decree would include a minimum age of 21 for betting account holders and a requirement for all payments to go through an account with a licensed bookmaker.
As part of the overhaul, advertising rules would also be relaxed to allow businesses to display logos and promotional materials on their websites, a practice which is prohibited under the current decree.
To begin, the Finance Ministry is proposing to open up the market to a single enterprise as part of a five-year pilot of the new rules.
The proposed changes to international football betting rules form part of wider changes under consideration for Vietnam’s gaming market.
As it stands, frameworks are strict when it comes to limitations on local residents’ gambling, as casinos, online betting and sports betting remain illegal for Vietnamese citizens.
However, there have been pilot programs launched that are enabling locals to gamble in casino venues, with these pilot programs being expanded for a further five years.
The Grand Ho Tram and Van Don Integrated Resort are the two resorts at the centre of the pilot program’s expansion.
To ensure the financial viability of each entrant, the Ministry of Finance has put forward entry fees of VND 2.5 million (approximately $100 USD) for each 24-hour period of casino access, as well as VND 50 million (approximately $2,000 USD) for a monthly pass.
The pilot expansion will require final sign-off from Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chính and the country’s Minister of Finance.
Previously, the Corona Resort & Casino in Phu Quoc was utilised as part of the trial for enabling local residents to gamble. Whilst results for this trial were significantly limited by COVID, it is reported that the resort could be enabled to take on the permanent inclusion of local players.
iGaming Expert Analysis: Vietnam is one of many moving parts within a complex Asian landscape as we head into 2026. If regulations continue to modernise and changes are implemented correctly, widening the scope of the casino sector while enabling more opportunities for sports betting promotion could be the ingredients to an economic boost for Phạm Minh Chính’s Premiership.
While casino efforts in other countries such as Thailand have stalled, Vietnam has the chance to establish itself as a credible alternative to Macau when it comes to being a gambling hotspot in Southeast Asia.
