Gambling in Vietnam is illegal but is still rampant. There have been some attempts to legalise the practice, particularly sports betting, with guidelines for a pilot program legislated back in 2017, but no business has as yet taken up the opportunity. This is in large part due to very restrictive regulations that limit the size of a bet to VND 1 million or about US$42 and to just a handful of sports. A minimum capital contribution of VND 1 trillion or US$42 million is also required…

There has been some speculation over the last few weeks that blocking Steam in Vietnam may have been blocked at the request of local game developers to protect the local industry. Whereas these comments from Le do not necessarily rule that out, he does claim that attempts were made to contact the company but received no response–ergo, this might just be a shot across the bow to get Steam’s attention.

Just one app was also removed in 2023 for beaching Vietnam’s Cybersecurity Law. This law requires cross border service providers like streaming sites and online video game distributors to open local offices and store data locally. That said, with just one takedown request for the whole of last year (for comparison in China it was 1,285) enforcing this law in Vietnam looks to be shaping up as…

VNG’s Zalo currently has about 72.5 million user accounts and its success has put VNG in the government’s good graces. This may speak to reports last week that the Steam gaming platform had been banned in Vietnam at the request of local game producers.

A World Poker Tour event scheduled to be held in Hanoi has been cancelled amid reports organisers failed to acquire the necessary permits. Local media outlet, Dan Tri has said the Hanoi Department of Culture and Information and the police have been asked to review the event including if the

The People’s Committee of Soc Son district on the outskirts of Hanoi (near the airport) is asking for opinions with respect to building a racetrack and entertainment complex in the area, Nha Dau Tu (the Vietnamese language version of The Investor) is reporting. The project would cover 125 hectares and

Vietnam’s Quang Ninh province, home to world famous tourist attraction Ha Long Bay, wants to build a US$2.8 billion casino and resort for domestic tourists. Plans have been submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Investment which has asked the Prime Minister to approve the project ‘in-principal’, The Investor is

C-level executives at Spectrum Gaming Group, a consultancy specialising in legalised gambling have called for Vietnam to formalise its gaming sector by consolidating legislation and appointing a single regulator, according to an op-ed published in Inside Asian Gaming. They say that the legislation in the sector is currently scattered with