Vietnam police arrest 85, dismantle illegal 2026 World Cup betting rings | OneFootball

Police in Ho Chi Minh City said on Tuesday they had detained 85 people linked to illegal football betting networks after raids late in June targeted two groups.

Investigators put the networks’ transactions since October 2025 at about 166 million euros, 133 million dollars, amid a wider crackdown intensified during the 2026 World Cup.

Officers described the operations as unusually large and highly organised. Ringleaders acknowledged receiving high-tier betting accounts from individuals in Cambodia, then splitting them into numerous agent and member accounts to distribute to online punters.

Online gambling is banned in Vietnam, yet profitable illicit operations persist, prompting frequent clampdowns, especially around major sporting events. A similar action in Thailand last Tuesday led to 8 arrests.

By late June, authorities had dismantled 73 betting networks nationwide, with 346 suspects held over the first 20 days of the 2026 World Cup.

Source: L'Équipe