Vietnam's justice ministry proposes full ID disclosure for football bettors under new rules

The proposal has been accepted by the Ministry of Finance in a draft decree intended to replace Decree 06 issued in 2017 on the business of betting on horse racing, dog racing, and international football.

The finance ministry recently published a summary of feedback and official responses from public and inter-agency consultations on the draft decree.

In its comments, the justice ministry recommended adding detailed requirements on the personal information bettors must submit when registering accounts. 

These include full name, nationality, occupation, phone number, address, and place of residence.

The justice ministry said the requirement is necessary to ensure consistency with the 2022 Law on Anti Money Laundering.

In response, the finance ministry said it has incorporated the recommendation and revised the draft to include comprehensive identity verification requirements for bettors.

On betting limits, the Ministry of Science and Technology suggested raising the maximum betting cap to VND100 million (US$3,800) per person per day, or VND10 million ($380) per day for each betting product, instead of applying a single daily total cap.

The ministry argued that a higher ceiling would allow licensed operators to attract high spending customers and better compete with illegal betting markets. 

It added that the state could apply management tools such as bettor identification, cash flow monitoring, and risk warnings to mitigate negative impacts.

However, the finance ministry rejected the proposal, stressing that betting activities are intended to meet demand for regulated, recreational gambling.

Based on Vietnam's current average income of about $5,000 per capita per year, the draft decree maintains a maximum betting limit of $380 per person per day at a single licensed operator.

The finance ministry said the cap reflects income realities and is designed to prevent excessive betting that could affect public order and social security.

The draft was therefore submitted to the government with the limit unchanged.

Several ministries also called for clearer criteria to expand the list of international football matches and tournaments eligible for legal betting.

The finance ministry explained that current rules limit eligibility to tournaments announced by FIFA, resulting in only about four to eight tournaments per year, each lasting 10-30 days, making the sector unattractive to investors.

In response to comments from the Ministry of Public Security, the revised draft broadens eligibility to include major, reputable, and highly professional tournaments that are widely followed by Vietnamese fans.

These include competitions organized by UEFA, AFC, CONMEBOL, and CONCACAF.

National leagues and cup competitions from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina, and other countries ranked in FIFA's top 10 as of the previous December would also be included.

For international football betting, the draft allows a pilot program with a maximum of three licensed enterprises.

The finance ministry said that because football betting is a sensitive business with nationwide public order implications and money laundering risks, the authority to select pilot operators rests with the prime minister under the Law on Investment.