Vietnamese club Phu Tho FC has been demoted to the Third Division—the lowest tier in Vietnam’s football league system—after being found guilty of manipulating match results, according to a FIFA disciplinary ruling issued on May 2, and reported by VN Express.
The article notes that:
- FIFA stated it had zero tolerance for match-fixing and took the decision to safeguard the integrity of the sport.
- The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has no authority to overturn the ruling; Phu Tho has 10 days to appeal.
- The case was linked to suspicious performance patterns during the 2023–2024 season, where Phu Tho was relegated after scoring just 6 goals and conceding 43 across 20 matches.
This speaks to widespread illegal sports betting in Vietnam, despite the practice being illegal, and the challenges it creates.
Notably, attempts to legalise gambling in Vietnam have focused on a number of areas, but sports betting in particular has drawn a lot of attention. In fact, guidelines for a pilot program were legislated back in 2017, however, 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.
See also: Gambling in Vietnam: Industry Overview