Vietnam police arrested 85 suspects tied to two major illegal World Cup betting rings, dismantled in late June in Ho Chi Minh City. The rings operated online using master accounts sourced from Cambodia, which were subdivided into many agent and gambler accounts, police said [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
Authorities estimated the combined illegal transaction amount of these two rings at approximately US$133 million since October 2025. Colonel Bui Tuan Anh of the Vietnam Public Security Ministry stated, "Transaction money in these cases totalled thousands of billions of dong (hundreds of millions of dollars)" [1].
During the first 20 days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, police dismantled 73 illegal gambling operations nationwide and arrested 346 suspects involved in illegal gambling and football betting [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] [5]. Online gambling remains illegal in Vietnam, but underground markets often thrive during international sporting events, prompting periodic crackdowns by authorities [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] [5].
The 2026 World Cup is jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with the final scheduled on July 19, 2026 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
Police made a public announcement on July 7, 2026, detailing the arrests and results of the nationwide crackdown [1] [2] [3] [4]. Authorities continue investigations as the tournament approaches its final stages.
