Vietnamese authorities to launch a sports lottery in order to shut down match fixing and illegal betting

Vietnam launches sports lottery to eliminate illegal betting

Vietnam's authorities decided to launch a sports lottery in order to shut down match fixing and illegal betting. The government has already accepted the ministry’s initial proposal, reported Slam.canoe.ca.

"Organizing such a sports lottery is completely viable and certainly we must do it," said Nguyen Trong Hy, vice-minister of sport. He added the ministry would study similar experiments in other countries. After the thorough investigation the government will officially approve the initiative.

The Vietnamese official said Vietnam could hold a lottery for soccer first, which would generate tens of millions of dollars a year for the governments in China and Singapore. The sports lottery supported by the government aims to stop match fixing on Vietnamese soccer and illegal betting on European soccer championships.

"If a sports lottery is not allowed, people still do it. In that case, the dangerous thing is that bookies will pay players to change the results of the games," Hy said. Gambling on sports games is illegal in Vietnam, but a lot of people indulge in wagering on European soccer championships every year. Betting is only allowed at a rundown horse race in Ho Chi Minh City and a dog race track in southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province.