Online gambling regulation in Vietnam

Ministry of Finance for gambling (casinos, prize-winning electronic games, sports betting); Ministry of Information and Communications for online games and platforms. Online gambling prohibited model. Checked 2026-09-21.

Advertising unlicensed gambling banned: Yes
Public licence register: No
Online casino: Prohibited
Online sports betting: Partly allowed

Casino, sports betting, poker and more

Vietnam broadly prohibits online gambling. Live poker has a narrow land-based/tournament exception and casino gaming is tightly limited, while sports betting is only allowed in very restricted pilot/lottery-style forms; online casino, poker and most online betting are not licensed.

Product	Status	What that means
Online casino	Prohibited	—
Online sports betting	Partly allowed	—
Online poker	Prohibited	Real-money online poker is treated as illegal gambling under the Criminal Code; no online poker licence exists.
Sweepstakes and social casinos	Not confirmed	Unclear; no Vietnam-specific sweepstakes/social-casino regime was confirmed in the provided sources.
Prediction markets	Not confirmed	Unclear; I found no Vietnam-specific online prediction-market regime or enforcement rule in the provided sources.
Mystery boxes	Restricted	Decree 147/2024/ND-CP (2024) and Penal Code Articles 321–322 treat random-value paid online prize systems as gambling-like only if cash-out/real-value wagering occurs; otherwise no specific loot-box rule found.

Advertising unlicensed gambling in Vietnam

Prohibited. Penal Code provisions on organised/unauthorised gambling, the Cybersecurity Law’s ban on online gambling content, and Decree 137/2021/ND-CP on betting/prize-game violations.

Advertising illegal or unlicensed gambling is treated as participation or facilitation in unauthorised gambling and can lead to administrative fines or criminal liability.

Regulator and law

Ministry of Finance for gambling (casinos, prize-winning electronic games, sports betting); Ministry of Information and Communications for online games and platforms — www.mof.gov.vn

Decree 147/2024/ND-CP on internet services and online information (including online games), effective 25 December 2024.

Online casino: Prohibited. Online sports betting: Partly allowed.

Checking a licence

There is no public register of licensed operators. No official public online register of gambling or betting licences was identified; casino and betting licences are granted individually by the Ministry of Finance.

How the black market is fought

Criminal prosecution for organising or participating in illegal online gambling
Administrative fines under Decree 137/2021/ND-CP for betting and prize-winning games
App-store and platform takedown of unlicensed gambling apps under Decree 147/2024/ND-CP
Technical blocking of unlawful online content, services or applications
Cooperation with payment systems to disrupt illegal gambling payments

Advertising rules for licensed operators

No promotion of online casino-style or card-based games; such products cannot be licensed at all
Advertising must not target minors; enhanced minor-protection rules for online games under Decree 147/2024/ND-CP
Licensed games must clearly display approval status (G1 decision; G2–G4 confirmation) in distribution channels
Foreign providers must not market games to Vietnamese users without a licensed local entity

Recent developments

Decree 147/2024/ND-CP replaced Decree 72/2013 and tightened regulation of online games from 25 December 2024.
Decree 147/2024/ND-CP expressly bans online casino-style and card-based games and strengthens player verification and minor protection.
Sports betting remains limited to a pilot regime under Decree 06/2017 as amended by Decree 23/2024, with no general online market opening.

Questions

Is it illegal to advertise unlicensed gambling in Vietnam?

Yes. Penal Code provisions on organised/unauthorised gambling, the Cybersecurity Law’s ban on online gambling content, and Decree 137/2021/ND-CP on betting/prize-game violations. Advertising illegal or unlicensed gambling is treated as participation or facilitation in unauthorised gambling and can lead to administrative fines or criminal liability.

Who regulates online gambling in Vietnam?

Ministry of Finance for gambling (casinos, prize-winning electronic games, sports betting); Ministry of Information and Communications for online games and platforms. The main law is Decree 147/2024/ND-CP on internet services and online information (including online games), effective 25 December 2024..

How can I check whether a gambling operator is licensed in Vietnam?

No official public online register of gambling or betting licences was identified; casino and betting licences are granted individually by the Ministry of Finance.

What we could not confirm

Exact article numbers in the Cybersecurity Law and Penal Code provisions applied to online gambling and related advertising.
Whether any provincial Department of Information and Communications maintains a local online list of approved G1–G4 games including gambling-style content.
Precise sections in Decree 147/2024/ND-CP that empower payment blocking and technical blocking measures.
Whether Vietnam separately regulates paid mystery boxes/loot boxes as gambling or consumer products.
Whether any sweepstakes/social-casino model is expressly permitted if no cash-out is offered.
Whether prediction markets are treated as gambling, securities, or unregulated in Vietnam.

Sources

Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.