Gambling in Vietnam: Penal Code, Casino Decree and Advertising Rules

Is Online Gambling Legal in Vietnam?

Is online gambling legal in Vietnam? Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP on casino business provides no licence for online casinos, and under Article 321 of Vietnam’s Penal Code of 2015, as amended in 2017, illegal gambling in any form is a criminal offence. The article expressly mentions committing that offence over the internet, computer networks or electronic means, so illegal gambling carried out online stays within the Penal Code.

The casino decree also closes the route through a casino certificate: it prohibits using casino business to organise or provide prize games illegally over computer networks, telecommunications networks or the internet. Among the online gambling laws by country, Vietnam’s position therefore rests on two texts at once, a criminal offence on one side and, on the other, a casino regime that has no licence to offer for online play.

What Vietnamese Gambling Law Says

Vietnam gambling laws are spread across three pieces of legislation: the Penal Code, Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP on casino business and the Law on Advertising. The decree does more than set conditions for casinos. It tasks the ministry in charge of information and communications, working with the Ministry of Public Security, with preventing online prize games from being supplied from abroad into Vietnam, so prize games offered online from outside the country are something the state is charged with stopping.

Advertising is covered by two of those texts. In its 2012 text, the Law on Advertising No. 16/2012/QH13 bans advertising goods and services whose trade is prohibited by law. Under the casino decree, only businesses holding a casino certificate may advertise casino related activities. The law looks at what is advertised and the decree at who may advertise it, so a business without a certificate has no basis in the decree to promote casino activities.

Which Forms of Gambling Are Licensed in Vietnam?

Is gambling legal in Vietnam in a licensed form? The licensed gambling covered by Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP is casino business, and operating a casino without a certificate of eligibility for casino business is prohibited. These gambling regulations also fix where the business takes place: a casino business may operate only at one location licensed by the competent authority, so the certificate and the place go together.

The gap for online casinos comes from that link to a place. As how online casinos work shows, an online casino takes play through a website rather than at an address, and a regime that licenses casino business one location at a time has nothing to grant it: the decree provides no licence for online casinos.

Casino-Entry Rules for Vietnamese Citizens and Foreign Visitors

Casino restrictions in Vietnam reach people who gamble as well as the businesses that run casinos. Alongside the certificate a casino business needs, the casino decree has a dedicated article on Vietnamese citizens, and their permission to play is framed as a pilot.

Vietnamese Citizens

Vietnamese people are allowed to play in casinos on a pilot basis, under Article 12 of Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP. In 2025 the government issued Resolution No. 8/2025/NQ-CP to extend and expand this pilot programme.

Enacted Changes, Proposed Reforms and Historical Reporting

Two enacted changes touch gambling laws in Vietnam: one concerns the casino pilot for Vietnamese citizens, the other the advertising legislation. Proposals and older reporting are a different matter, since neither is the law as it stands.

Enacted Changes

Law No. 75/2025/QH15, which amends the Law on Advertising, took effect on 1 January 2026. Its number carries 2025, but the amendment applies from that later date, so the number alone does not give the date from which it applies. On the casino side, the enacted change is Resolution No. 8/2025/NQ-CP, the 2025 resolution on the pilot for Vietnamese citizens.

Proposed Reforms

A proposal to amend or replace Decree No. 03/2017/ND-CP, the Penal Code or the Law on Advertising changes nothing until it is adopted and takes effect. Until then, a report that the rules on casinos or online gambling will change describes an intention, not the content of Vietnamese law.

Historical Reporting

Reporting published before 1 January 2026 describes the Law on Advertising as it stood before Law No. 75/2025/QH15 amended it. Reporting on the casino pilot from before the 2025 resolution describes the pilot before it was extended and expanded. The date of a report therefore decides which state of the law it can describe.

Video-Game Regulation Versus Gambling Law

Presenting gambling as a video game does not take it outside Vietnamese gambling regulations. Under Article 321 of the Penal Code the offence covers illegal gambling in any form, including over electronic means, and the casino decree’s online prohibition is worded in terms of prize games, so the law reaches the activity whatever name or format it is given.

Responsible Gambling

Spending and time limits help contain gambling behaviour, though they do not change the restrictions of Vietnamese law. General responsible gambling tools include spending caps, session reminders and breaks. A spending boundary should protect money needed for housing, food, bills and other commitments, while a time boundary should protect sleep and everyday responsibilities. Set boundaries before an urge to gamble develops, rather than during play, and treat reaching one as the moment to stop, not to raise the allowance or extend the session.

Understanding what self-exclusion is helps distinguish a formal restriction on participation from simply deciding to take a break from gambling. Self-exclusion generally involves asking a service to prevent further participation for a defined period, with coverage depending on the arrangement. An exclusion applying to a particular service should not be assumed to extend to unrelated services or every device a person uses. Treat self-exclusion as a protective boundary to maintain, not an obstacle to work around.

Learning how to block gambling sites can add a separate barrier through software designed to restrict gambling content on a device. Blocking software and self-exclusion serve different functions, so using either measure does not establish that the other is in place. Check the software’s coverage across devices and applications, because a restriction on one device should not be assumed to apply elsewhere. Used together, the measures cover different gaps:

• Set a spending boundary that leaves essential expenses untouched.
• Set a time boundary and stop when the planned period ends.
• Use self-exclusion where available, and understand its scope before relying on it.
• Apply blocking software across relevant devices rather than assuming a single installation covers everything.

Signs of Gambling Harm and Finding Support

Gambling harm can become noticeable through changes in spending, behaviour or everyday responsibilities, whether someone is in Vietnam or elsewhere. Warning signs deserve attention even when the person still attends work and maintains an outwardly ordinary routine. Look at the effect on sleep, relationships and essential spending, rather than judging the problem solely by the amount lost. A repeated pattern of secrecy or difficulty stopping is a reason to seek support, without waiting for a financial crisis or for someone else to notice the problem.

• Chasing losses: continuing to gamble because earlier losses feel unacceptable.
• Exceeding planned spending: using money needed for essentials or repeatedly spending beyond an affordable limit.
• Hiding gambling: concealing sessions, losses or borrowing from people close to you.
• Difficulty stopping: returning to gambling despite deciding to stop or feeling unable to leave a session.
• Effects on daily life: disrupted sleep, missed responsibilities, relationship conflict or persistent preoccupation with gambling.

A healthcare professional, such as a doctor or qualified mental health practitioner, is a starting point for discussing gambling concerns. Explain what has changed, including urges to gamble, spending patterns, sleep and any effects on work or relationships. Ask about assessment and appropriate support for gambling-related difficulties, rather than expecting to resolve every concern in the first conversation. When arranging an appointment, ask about language options, confidentiality and costs so that practical uncertainties do not become another reason to postpone the conversation or avoid seeking help.

A trusted friend or family member can help someone prepare for an appointment and describe changes they have found difficult to discuss. Choose a person who can listen without blame, and be clear about whether you want company, help arranging care or support with everyday responsibilities. Someone supporting a loved one can also seek professional advice about their own wellbeing, without taking responsibility for fixing the gambling behaviour. If there is immediate danger or thoughts of self-harm, seek urgent medical help through local emergency services.

FAQ