Vietnam busts second World Cup online betting ring in a week

Vietnam’s online sports bettors have one less wagering option after police made their second major bust in less than a week.

On Tuesday, Vietnamnet Bridge reported that police in the northern Thanh Hóa Province had arrested 11 people suspected of involvement in an online football betting operation that reportedly handled nearly VND100b (US$4.4m) in wagers since the 2018 FIFA World Cup got underway earlier this month.

The ringleaders reportedly had connections with 332bet.com, a password-protected gambling site based in the Philippines’ Cagayan Economic Zone. The group paid VND2b for a master account on the website, then solicited wagers from local residents. Police claimed to have seized over VND700m ($30,500) in cash in addition to dozens of phones and computers.

This latest bust follows hot on the heels of last Friday’s bust of an online betting ring in Ho Chi Minh City. That operation, which was linked to Philippines-licensed operator 12bet, reportedly handled $26.2m worth of wagers since last year.