When is football betting punished by imprisonment?

According to the provisions of Vietnamese law, football betting is an illegal gambling act, whereby the person who commits this act will be administratively sanctioned or examined for penal liability in accordance with the criminal law.

Article 321 of the Penal Code stipulates: “Anyone who illegally gambles in any form may lose in money or in kind with a value of between VND 5,000,000 and under VND 50,000,000 or under VND 5,000,000 but has been fined an administrative violation of this act or the act specified in Article 322 of this Code or have been sentenced for this crime or the crime specified in Article 322 of this Code, have not yet been expunged, but continue to commit shall be subject to a fine of between VND 20,000,000 and 100,000,000, non-custodial reform for up to 3 years or a prison term of between 6 months and 3 years.”

 Illustration

Thus, the person who commits  football betting may be sentenced to imprisonment in the case of betting on football with money or in kind with a value of less than VND 5,000,000 or less or less than VND 5,000,000 but has been punished by administrative penalties for this act or the act specified in Article 322 of the Penal Code or has been convicted of this crime or the crime specified in Article 322 of the Penal Code, has not yet been expunged, but still commits a crime. 

In addition, football bettors who commit crimes in one of the following circumstances shall be sentenced to between 3 and 7 years of imprisonment (Clause 2, Article 321 of the Penal Code):

a) Be of a professional nature;

b) Money or kind used for gambling valued at VND 50,000,000 or more;

c) Using the internet, computer networks, telecommunications networks or electronic means to commit crimes;

d) Dangerous recidivism.

Persons who commit acts of football betting may also be fined from VND 10,000,000 to VND 50,000,000 (Clause 3, Article 321 of the Penal Code).