The process of resolving difficulties in international football betting is still ongoing.

Báo Đầu tư•14/03/2024

From 2017 to 2022, the Ministry of Finance, in coordination with other ministries and agencies, reported to competent authorities five times on the difficulties encountered and drafted a Decree to replace Decree No. 06/2017/ND-CP on the business of betting on horse racing, dog racing, and international football.

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The government allowed one company to conduct a pilot program for international football betting for a period of 5 years, but this has not yet materialized.

Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc has just submitted to National Assembly deputies a report on several issues related to the questions raised at the 31st session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, including the implementation of laws regarding the betting sector.

Regarding the legal framework, the Minister stated that in 2017, with the approval of the National Assembly Standing Committee and based on the provisions of the Investment Law, the Government issued Decree No. 06/2017/ND-CP on the business of betting on horse racing, dog racing, and international football (Decree No. 06).

To ensure strict management and a clear roadmap for this business, the Government allows the operation of three types of betting (including horse racing, dog racing, and international football); it does not yet permit online betting; and it stipulates the conditions for granting investment licenses and betting business licenses.

Regarding international football betting, the Government allows one enterprise to conduct a pilot program for a period of 5 years. The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with other ministries and agencies, will organize a bidding process to select this enterprise in accordance with the law on bidding. The selected enterprise must meet the conditions of having a minimum charter capital of 1,000 billion VND; and have an investment plan for the betting system and a business plan that comply with the law.

However, the 2013 Bidding Law does not contain provisions on bidding for the selection of investors to implement business investment projects, therefore it is impossible to organize a bidding process to select a single enterprise. Consequently, from 2017 to 2022, the Ministry of Finance coordinated with other ministries and agencies to report to competent authorities five times on the obstacles and drafted a Decree to replace Decree No. 06/2017/ND-CP. Based on the review of the law, in March 2023, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Finance to finalize the Decree replacing Decree No. 06/2017/ND-CP after the amended Bidding Law is promulgated, the Minister said.

In 2023, the National Assembly enacted the amended Law on Bidding, which included provisions on bidding for the selection of investors to implement business investment projects. Based on the provisions of the Law, on February 27, 2024, the Government issued a Decree guiding the procedures for bidding to select investors to implement business investment projects.

“Currently, the Ministry of Finance is finalizing and seeking feedback from ministries and agencies on amending Decree No. 06, which specifies the conditions for bidding to select investors to conduct international football betting business, in order to comply with the newly enacted laws on investment and bidding. Accordingly, the bidding process to select one investor to conduct international football betting business will be carried out in accordance with the Law on Bidding and the Decree on betting business,” the Minister reported to the National Assembly.

Regarding dog and horse racing betting, current regulations stipulate that businesses are only permitted to operate betting services if they have investment projects with a minimum investment scale of VND 300 billion and VND 1,000 billion respectively. Each project must be approved by the Prime Minister based on an assessment by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in accordance with investment laws. The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with other ministries and agencies, will issue betting business licenses after the business has completed the construction of the racetrack and prepared the necessary facilities to operate the betting business.

From 2017 to the present, seven provinces and cities have requested the Prime Minister's approval for investment projects in horse and dog racing betting. The Prime Minister has approved the investment policy for one horse racing track project (with betting) in Soc Son district, Hanoi. However, to date, this project has not been implemented due to obstacles related to the capital contribution mechanism from the Vietnamese investor (Hanoi Tourism Corporation) and is currently under the jurisdiction of the Hanoi People's Committee.

The remaining six projects are currently in the process of seeking investment approval. Therefore, to date, no businesses have been granted licenses to operate horse racing or dog racing betting.

Additionally, one enterprise had piloted dog racing betting at a racetrack in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province since 1999, before Decree No. 06/2017/ND-CP was issued. By March 2023, the enterprise had ceased betting operations due to the expiration of its project's operating period.

Regarding the betting business, in August 2022, during a questioning session organized by the National Assembly Standing Committee, a representative raised the issue that it was time for Vietnam to allow the implementation of a Decree on betting to manage it more strictly, collect taxes, and limit online betting.

In his response, then-Minister Ho Duc Phoc proposed amending Decree 06/2017/ND-CP on the business of betting on horse racing, dog racing, and international football.

And now, a year and a half has passed, and the Ministry of Finance is finalizing the amendments to Decree No. 06 for consultation with other ministries and agencies, as mentioned above.

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