International football betting: How much is enough, conflicting views

VCCI proposed to raise the maximum football betting level to 100 million VND/person/day. Economic experts believe that in the initial pilot phase, it should be kept at 30-50 million VND/person/day, then re-evaluated and adjusted accordingly.

Opinions are divided.

As Thanh Nien reported, in the document providing comments on the draft Decree replacing Decree 06/2017/ND-CP on betting business on horse racing, dog racing and international football sent to the Ministry of Finance recently, the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) raised a notable proposal on the limit on international football betting.

Specifically, consider raising the maximum bet to 100 million VND/person/day or at least allowing businesses to apply 10 million VND/day for each betting product, instead of limiting the total bet amount per day.

VCCI proposes to raise the maximum football betting level to 100 million VND/person/day

PHOTO: REUTERS

The figure of 100 million VND/person/day given by VCCI is 10 times higher than the level stated by the Ministry of Finance in the draft decree. According to the provisions of Decree 06/2017/ND-CP, the maximum bet is 1 million VND/product/person/day.

"According to feedback from businesses and experts in the field, the ceiling level as in the draft decree is too low compared to market reality, not enough to create conditions for the legal betting business model to operate effectively.

Currently, the majority of revenue from legal betting businesses in developed countries comes from high-stakes players. Meanwhile, illegal betting platforms operating in Vietnam are not limited to betting levels, causing players to switch to illegal platforms for a more flexible experience. This not only causes loss of state budget revenue but also weakens the effectiveness of the management mechanism," VCCI stated.

Talking to Thanh Nien , finance and banking expert Nguyen Tri Hieu leans towards the Ministry of Finance's plan.

"Many people have a high risk appetite, so we should create a legal playground but not encourage football betting. In reality, there have been many cases where individuals and families have collapsed because of losing bets. If encouraged, it could cause unnecessary economic, moral and social consequences," said Mr. Hieu.

Economist Nguyen Ngoc Tu ( Hanoi University of Business and Technology) partly agrees with the argument put forward by VCCI.

"In the world in general, in Asia in particular, especially East Asia, the demand for sports entertainment and betting is increasing. In recent times, although Vietnam has not had a clear policy on football betting, in reality, betting still takes place.

If it is absolutely banned, then there is no need to discuss it, but when it is piloted, we must find a way to basically meet the needs, avoiding the situation where even though betting is official and legal, many players still choose the underground market," Mr. Tu emphasized.

The expert suggested limiting the maximum bet to at least 30 - 50 million VND/person/day in the initial phase. After about 6 months to 1 year, it is necessary to re-evaluate the pilot process. If this level is found to be unreasonable, it can be adjusted up or down accordingly, balancing the factors.

Must strictly control people who bet on international football and manage cash flow.

According to VCCI, Raising the maximum football betting limit to 100 million VND/person/day will create conditions for legal businesses to reach high-spending customers, while increasing competition with the underground market.

The State can apply management tools in parallel such as player identification, cash flow monitoring and risk warning to limit negative impacts.

Only allow betting on international football tournaments not managed or organized by VFF

Mr. Tu noted that the ultimate goal of the pilot is to meet practical needs, in line with international practices, but must avoid negative impacts.

"We need to manage players and manage cash flow well. Currently, gambling activities are very complicated and if not managed carefully, football betting can also turn into widespread gambling. Therefore, we need to build a monitoring and evaluation mechanism so that after the pilot, we can plan appropriate policies that do not cause consequences to the socio-economic situation," said Mr. Tu.

Referring to concerns that if the maximum betting limit is too low, it could lead to a situation where it is difficult to compete with the underground market, Mr. Hieu argued that when people have more opportunities to get rich and make money, the "gambling blood" may decrease, and participation in football betting will also decrease.

"In early September, the Government issued Resolution No. 05/2025/NQ-CP on piloting the crypto asset market in Vietnam. This is important, creating a legal corridor, moving towards truly creating a new playground for crypto assets. This is a space where those who like risky investments can participate," Mr. Hieu suggested.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dat-cuoc-bong-da-quoc-te-toi-da-bao-nhieu-la-vua-nhung-quan-diem-trai-chieu-185251025102349151.htm