Vietnam equipped to allow sports betting via internet: expert

Vietnam is capable of permitting Internet-based tickets for sports betting with careful management of players and without unsuitable restrictions, says Nguyen Tu Quang, chairman of BKAV Group, a leading tech firm in the country.

Quang was speaking Thursday at a Hanoi workshop that gathered recommendations on amending the government's Decree 06/2017 on horse racing, greyhound racing and international football betting.

The workshop was hosted by the Vietnam's Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) and The Investor.

Quang said regulators in the country can utilize data, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology to ensure fair games. Vietnam should embrace the game instead of banning it on the basis of lackluster management, he added.

Nguyen Van Phung, former head of the Large Enterprises Management Department under the Ministry of Finance’s General Department of Taxation, said Decree 06/2017 has been ineffective since its issuance, thus it is the right time to amend the rules when demand for and supply of sports betting avenues have been “adjusted”.

He argued that amendments to the decree should facilitate investment in sports betting infrastructure, including data access for the tax sector to fairly calculate dues.

Mai Tien Truc, former Standing Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications and former head of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), said the lawmaking process in Vietnam, including for sports betting, is outdated as regulators want to “play it safe” and delegate the risks to businesses and players.

"As the technology is now well-developed, the authorities should embrace sports betting and manage it suitably," he told the forum.

Nguyen Van Phuc, former vice head of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee, emphasized the pacey growth of technology has erased technical problems. The only remaining obstacle is the outdated legal framework. He recalled that Decree 06/2017 started its drafting phase in 2013 but it took four years to complete in 2017.

Iain Child, managing partner at Penta Investments – betting development partner of Fortuna, said Vietnam should permit a piloting phase of sports betting to avoid missing out on the sector with a pacey growth. A five-year period is suitable to ensure studying of the law enforcement, he noted.

Vietnam should learn from international experiences, such as allowing foreign businesses to organize the betting or utilizing “franchise” business model.

Le Dai Hai, vice head of the Civil-Economic Legislation Department under the Ministry of Justice, said Vietnam had the technical capacity now to facilitate sports betting. "As such, a new or amended decree was needed."