Vietnamese authorities have filed charges against 63 people over their involvement with an online sports betting ring in the northern part of the country.
According to Thanh Nien News, the website, which was ran from overseas, accepted more than VND487 billion (USD21.8 million) in wagers between 2012 and 2015. Bets were made on soccer, basketball and tennis games. The site also offers online poker games.
Among those facing gambling charges is 34-year-old To Cong Hung, director of Dream Weavers Online Services JSC, and five of his alleged accomplices, according to the Supreme People’s Procuracy. Investigators claimed Hung sent an estimated VND20 billion (USD896,800) in bet money to different accounts at Chinese banks, and earned about VND4.3 billion (USD192,812) from running the gambling site in Vietnam.
Gambling is largely illegal in Vietnam except for the state-run lottery and a few foreigners-only casinos, but the country has been considering relaxing its longstanding prohibition on sports betting. Several weeks ago, reports surfaced that Vietnamese finance officials are seeking the government’s approval to legalize sports betting, albeit with a maximum daily betting limit of $45.
Central government spokesperson Kieu Dinh Thu previously said that gambling remains to be a “sensitive issue,” especially since any “changes to existing regulations will have to be submitted to and approved by top policymakers and lawmakers.”
Police arrest 33 in India illegal casinos bust
Meanwhile in the Indian state of Haryana, 33 people allegedly involved in online gambling were arrested following a series of raids across shops and cyber cafes, Times of India reported.
Police said they have recovered INR1.77 lakh and more than three dozen computers from three raids conducted in cafes in Surya Vihar, Madanpur and near Bheem Negar.
“The accused were produced in a city court today, where they were granted bail. We recovered many computers and INR 1.77 lakh from their possession. We will continue with the drive,” said police spokesperson Subhash Bokan, according to the news outlet.
