World Cup betting
(Baonghean) - The 2014 World Cup - the biggest football tournament on the planet - has just begun its first matches. Football fans around the world are experiencing a period of "eating, sleeping, and breathing football," fueled by the passion and allure of the beautiful game. Worryingly, as the ball starts rolling, so too are related problems stemming from "disguised sports," leading to serious issues such as gambling, betting, and increasing crime... The case of arresting individuals involved in football betting, recently dismantled by the Thai Hoa Town Police on June 15th, serves as a cautionary tale.
The World Cup is a major sporting event held every four years, often referred to as "football season," due to the intense appeal of the sport to fans. However, this has led to a surge in gambling in various forms, especially online football betting via text messages, employing numerous methods and tactics. Participants include not only teenagers, students, and farmers, but also government employees. Recognizing the complex nature of this problem, and in accordance with the Provincial Police's plan to continue its crackdown on various types of crime, the Thai Hoa Town Police have developed a specific plan, implemented various operational measures, and thoroughly assessed the situation to devise effective strategies for combating it.
Lieutenant Le Dinh Ha, Team Leader of the Criminal Investigation Team for Social Order, Thai Hoa Town Police, stated: Approximately one month before the 2014 World Cup, intelligence gathering was conducted, and the criminal police force of Thai Hoa Town Police monitored several individuals who were colluding to participate in betting and gambling during the matches. With the approval of the town police leadership, and under the direct guidance of Lieutenant Colonel Phan Trung Tuyen, Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Agency, the task force deployed personnel and categorized the suspects to implement operational measures.
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| The individuals involved in football betting were arrested by the police in Thai Hoa town. |
At 9:00 AM on June 15th, while the match between Japan and Ivory Coast was underway, the first reconnaissance team caught a group of three individuals gambling on football matches. The suspects were identified as: Dang Van Than (born 1984), residing in Tan Son Hamlet, Hoa Hieu Ward; Phan Van Lich (born 1985), residing in Hamlet 9, Nghia Trung Commune, Nghia Dan District; and Nguyen Van Son (born 1988), the homeowner, residing in Thinh My Hamlet, Nghia My Commune. According to their statements, Than had met with Son previously to discuss placing bets during the season, instructing him to inform Son if he wanted to bet. At 7:00 AM on June 15th, Lich and another young man from Nghia Thuan Commune messaged Son, requesting a bet of 15 million VND. During the match, Son gathered the other individuals and then contacted Than to participate, at which point they were apprehended by the police.
At the same time, a task force from the Thai Hoa Town Police arrested Nguyen Van Cong (born 1984), residing in Hung Xuan hamlet, Tay Hieu commune, the homeowner, along with two other individuals, Nguyen Hoai Nam (born 1989) and Dang Thuy Trieu (born 1989), both residing in Hung Dong hamlet, Tay Hieu commune. According to Cong's confession, as the owner of an internet cafe, he took advantage of the World Cup to contact several customers who wanted to place bets on football matches. At 7:15 AM on June 15th, while the match between Japan and Ivory Coast was underway, Nam and Trieu messaged Cong to arrange a bet of 30 million VND. They were apprehended by police while watching the match until it ended. At the police station, the suspects confessed to their crimes. The police also seized evidence related to gambling in the form of football betting, including 45 million VND, 12 mobile phones of various types, and 2 notebooks.
According to Lieutenant Ha, passion for sports, especially football, is a personal hobby and highly commendable. However, taking a disguised form of passion, turning this "playing field" into participation in illegal activities, is reprehensible and leads to unpredictable consequences. Once caught up in this game, very few people win, and the stakes increase with each match and its excitement. Therefore, controlling and managing the amount of money wagered is very difficult and depends heavily on luck. In reality, during sports seasons and even the World Cup, most gamblers fail and end up bankrupt, with many families torn apart as money is squandered on the gambles of football betting.
The law is fair and does not discriminate between recreational betting and gambling activities; therefore, fans should understand and comply with it to avoid regrettable violations.
According to current Vietnamese law, betting on football in any form is illegal gambling and is strictly prohibited. Betting with money or in other forms that do not warrant criminal prosecution is punishable by a fine of 1-2 million VND. According to Article 248 of the amended and supplemented Penal Code of 2009, it is stipulated that: “Gambling with stakes from 2 million VND to less than 50 million VND, or less than 2 million VND but having been convicted of gambling or organizing gambling, and whose criminal record has not been expunged and who commits the offense again, shall be punishable by a fine of 5 to 50 million VND, non-custodial rehabilitation for up to 3 years, or imprisonment from 3 months to 3 years. If an individual commits the crime under one of the following circumstances, they shall be punished with imprisonment from 2 to 7 years: Professional nature of the crime; money or objects used for gambling have a value of 50 million VND or more; dangerous recidivism. The offender may also be fined from 3 to 30 million VND.” City |
Mr. Dung
