Vietnam weighs new rules for horse, dog, and international football betting

The Ministry of Justice is reviewing a draft government decree prepared by the Ministry of Finance that would replace existing rules governing betting on horse racing, dog racing, and international football.

The draft decree is intended to modernize regulations and provide clearer guidance for both operators and bettors.

For horse and dog racing, the draft proposes allowing licensed businesses to design their own betting products based on race results and in-race developments.

These betting products must be clearly stated in each company's betting rules, submitted to authorities for supervision, and publicly disclosed to bettors, according to the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP).

The draft suggests allowing businesses to offer betting on both their own races and international races.

Eligible international events include horse races organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities or its member organizations, as well as official greyhound racing events held around the world.

Operators must also secure lawful rights to use race images and results for betting purposes.

For international football betting, the draft allows wagers on matches and tournaments organized by major governing bodies, including FIFA, UEFA, AFC, CONMEBOL and CONCACAF.

The proposal permits betting on national leagues and cup competitions in countries such as the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Brazil, and Argentina, along with other nations ranked in the top 10 of FIFA's most recent December rankings.

Betting on eSports football championships or matches and tournaments organized by the Vietnam Football Federation would be prohibited, VGP reported.

Each international football match could feature about 10-15 betting products.

These may include predictions on full-time or half-time results, the number of yellow or red cards, corner kicks, first goal scorers, and final tournament rankings.

Eligible bettors would include Vietnamese citizens residing in Vietnam and foreign nationals or overseas Vietnamese who legally enter the country with valid travel documents.

Participants must be at least 21 years old, have full civil capacity, and voluntarily comply with all betting rules.

Under the draft decree, the minimum stake would be VND10,000 (US$0.38) per bet, while the maximum daily betting limit per player at a single licensed operator would be VND10 million ($380).

All betting, payment, and prize payout activities would be conducted through registered accounts.

This requirement is intended to ensure proper identification of bettors and effective enforcement of betting limits.