The vast majority of players suffered losses, with total winnings amounting to just 0.22% of the total bets, according to a recent indictment from the Supreme People’s Procuracy.
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Inside King Club, an illegal casino at Pullman Hotel, Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the police |
The illegal gambling took place between February 4 and June 22, 2024, at the club, which was licensed to serve only foreign visitors with electronic prize games.
Despite this, the venue, run by South Korean national Kim In Sung, secretly catered to Vietnamese gamblers, in violation of national law, which generally prohibits citizens from gambling except under a restricted pilot program.
Authorities identified Kim as the ringleader behind the operation, which masqueraded as a business club. He allegedly organized and managed the activities, pocketing all proceeds, and is believed to have made $9.2 million in illicit earnings.
Of the 145 individuals involved, 136 have been charged for gambling. Most were aware that Vietnamese law prohibits locals from participating in such gambling but chose to do so anyway.
The biggest winner was Nguyen Thanh Bach, a freelance businessman, who won VND2.2 billion over 95 sessions. The smallest winner was Vu Thanh Tung, who played seven times with a total of $5,600 and won $10.
Among the accused are seven officials of Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam who traveled to Hanoi to gamble.
Ho Dai Dung, former vice chairman of the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee, was the most frequent gambler among them. Dung gambled 95 times between February and June, spending over $7 million.
Two singers, Nguyen The Vu and Vu Ngoc Ha, are among the accused. Vu gambled 116 times, playing slots and baccarat, spending $4.3 million in total. Ha, meanwhile, poured $2,600 into baccarat.
Nguyen Van Hung, an employee of hospitality giant Muong Thanh Group, gambled 81 times and spent $531,800.
Another Muong Thanh employee, Truong Xuan Danh, gambled 45 times, with a total amount of $58,700.
Of the nine remaining individuals who have not been prosecuted, one is a staff member at the Central Military Hospital 108 and has been referred to military investigators.
Two who gambled less than VND5 million ($190) face fines, and two others have been deemed mentally unfit. Four individuals are in hiding and are wanted by the police.
