Businesses want football betting cap raised 10-fold to $3,800 per day

By Phuong Dung October 21, 2025 | 07:14 pm PT

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry has recommended increasing the daily betting limit for international football matches to VND100 million (US$3,800) from the proposed VND10 million.

It is supported by many businesses, who too consider the cap the Ministry of Finance is considering "too low", the VCCI said in a recent comment on a draft decree on betting on horse racing, dog racing and international football.

Manchester United's Danish defender #13 Patrick Dorgu battles for the ball with Liverpool's German midfielder #07 Florian Wirtz during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on October 19, 2025. Photo by AFP

Betting had for long been prohibited in Vietnam until a pilot scheme was introduced in 2017 with strict limits on both bookmarkers and players.

The VCCI also suggested a daily limit of VND10 million per betting product should its demand for VND100 million be rejected.

Bookmakers offer betting odds on 10-15 different items during international football matches like final score, number of yellow or red cards, corner kicks, and the first goal scorer.

Gamblers are now allowed to bet VND1 million per item per day on all of them, but the ministry wants to consolidate that into one single limit of VND10 million.

The VCCI said the low limit would hinder the operations of legal betting businesses. It pointed out that in developed countries these businesses derive most of their revenues from high-stakes bettors.

In Vietnam, unregulated betting platforms without limits draw all the high rollers, resulting in revenue losses for the government and weakening its oversight.

The ministry’s decree also requires bookmarkers to pay at least 10% of their gross revenues after payouts as tax, and the VCCI wants this halved to 5% during the trial phase to ensure businesses maintain a viable profit margin for survival and growth.

Authorities have recently cracked down on illegal football betting rings worth thousands of billions of dong.

Analysts said legalizing and strictly regulating the industry would help attract investors, check illegal betting and increase tax revenues while providing safe and legal entertainment options.