Provincial leader bets $7M in Koreans-led gambling ring at secret Hanoi Pullman Hotel casino

By Pham Du July 4, 2025 | 08:00 pm PT

Former Phu Tho deputy chairman Ho Dai Dung in a meeting in 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Former Phu Tho deputy chairman Ho Dai Dung bet over US$7 million in 95 sessions at Hanoi's luxury Pullman Hotel during the time he was in office, prosecutors say.

Dung, who was dismissed from his position in July 2024, was among 141 businesspeople and government officials charged after police raided the hotel’s King Club, an illegal casino disguised as a business club, on June 22, 2024. The Ministry of Public Security led the operation.

Vietnam's Supreme People's Procuracy has indicted five individuals: Cho Choo Keun, Shim Hawn Hee, Choi Jin Bok, Phan Truong Giang and Nguyen Dinh Lam for organizing gambling.

Another 136 people, including Dung and Ngo Ngoc Duc, former Party Secretary of Hoa Binh City, were charged with gambling. All will face trial in Hanoi.

Investigators said the underground casino catered to high-ranking officials, civil servants and wealthy entrepreneurs betting massive sums. Many joined through personal connections to get membership cards.

From Feb. 4 to June 22, 2024, gamblers wagered a total of $111.4 million on slot machines, roulette and baccarat, according to electronic records.

One organizer, Kim In Sung, a 67-year-old South Korean national, allegedly earned $9.4 million in illegal profits before fleeing Vietnam. He is now wanted by police.

Records show Dung opened his membership in June 2020. His largest single bet topped $331,000, while his smallest was $4,920. Overall, he lost around $759,000.

Duc gambled 74 times between February and June 2024, wagering over $4.2 million. His biggest bet was $229,000, with a lowest of $700. He lost about $284,000 overall.