Hanoi, Vietnam – On September 27, 2025, the Ministry of Finance proposed a major revision to Vietnam’s football betting framework, seeking to increase the daily legal betting limit to VND 10 million (approximately $380). This represents a tenfold rise from the current cap of VND 1 million per betting category. The draft decree also introduces stricter eligibility requirements for bettors, including a minimum age of 21 years, full civil capacity, and mandatory accounts with licensed bookmakers to improve identification and transaction oversight. Additionally, advertising rules would be relaxed to permit online promotional activities by betting companies.
Finance Minister Le Minh Hung described the proposal as a “measured response to the growth in Vietnam’s per capita income and the evolving landscape of international sports betting,” emphasizing that the changes intend to balance “fostering a regulated market and protecting social order.”
The draft decree, designed to replace an eight-year-old regulation, aligns with the Law on Sports and existing national gambling statutes governing legal betting on FIFA-sanctioned international football matches.
It limits betting options exclusively to legally recognized events and mandates that operators procure copyrights for match-related content from FIFA or its members to ensure intellectual property compliance.
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Economically, the proposed betting cap increase and updated regulations aim to stimulate investments in the legal sports betting market, which has long been constrained by low limits and complex rules. Experts suggest this could curb illegal betting, boost government tax revenues, and offer safer environments for consumers. To mitigate social risks such as gambling addiction, the ministry proposes piloting the international football betting market with a single licensed operator for five years.
As Vietnam embarks on this regulatory transformation amid rising economic capacity and growing gaming demands, this refined framework could either unlock a flourishing regulated sports betting market or present new challenges in enforcement and social responsibility.
