How a South Korean ringleader enabled $106M in illegal gambling by Vietnamese at Hanoi’s 5-star Pullman Hotel

The indictment by prosecutors shows that King Club on the hotel’s first floor is a casino with electronic prize games licensed to allow only foreign gamblers. It belongs to Viet Hai Dang Company, which has four such casinos in the country.

King Club is leased to HS, a company owned by South Korean man Kim In Sung, for US$110,000 a year plus $100,000 a month.

A roulette table. Photo by Unsplash/aidanhowe

Sung began managing it in 2020, and allegedly allowed Vietnamese to gamble illegally under fake foreign identities.

Receptionists at the casino would issue membership cards with pre-assigned ID PLAY numbers, using specialized equipment to print fake foreign names on the cards.

To keep track of the Vietnamese players, they would enter their personal details, ID PLAY numbers, and fake foreign names into the system.

The gamblers would return their cards while leaving.

If there was an inspection by authorities, the Korean managers would be alerted to stop the Vietnamese from gambling.

Sung electronically monitored the gamblers’ numbers, stakes, and wins and losses.

The Supreme People’s Procuracy said King Club used various promotions to "lure and retain players," offering vouchers based on accumulated points.

New players received vouchers of $200-1,000, daily bonuses of up to $1,500 and weekly bonuses of up to $2,000.

The top 20 players each week were awarded $500-10,000.

The club refunded losses to encourage gamblers to keep coming — 5% for losses over $1,000 and 10% for losses over $5,000.

The prosecutors said Vietnamese players knew gaming was illegal at the club but did it anyway.

The club has three options: slot machines, roulette and baccarat.

Software and camera data accessed by the police showed 145 Vietnamese nationals gambled a total of $106 million at the club. Of the 136 of them being prosecuted for gambling are many government officials, doctors and singers.

Authorities have identified Sung as the mastermind who allowed locals to gamble.

He is believed to have earned $9.2 million illicitly, but left Vietnam before the police discovered the illegal activities and is now wanted.

Three South Koreans and two Vietnamese are being prosecuted for organizing gambling.

Ho Dai Dung, a former vice chairman of the Phu Tho Province people’s committee, was the most regular gambler there, visiting 95 times between February and June this year, staking over $7 million.