Effectively combating illegal lottery activities.

(Baonghea) - Recently, due to the economic downturn and job difficulties, social vices, including gambling in the form of lottery and number betting, have shown signs of resurgence. Although authorities have continuously dismantled and shut down illegal lottery and number betting rings, several cases of debt default due to informal lending schemes or lottery betting have occurred in the province. This situation has caused anxiety and concern among many people and negatively impacted public order and social security.

Major Le Thanh Hai, Team Leader of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Social Evils Team (PC 45) of the Provincial Police, said: Every year, in implementing the crime prevention and control plan of the Board of Directors, the functional forces of the Provincial Police and the districts, cities, and towns all launch campaigns to combat and crack down on all types of crimes, including gambling in the form of lottery betting. Despite this, the situation of this vice is becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. In the past two years, the team has discovered and arrested 8-10 lottery betting rings and groups each year, prosecuting dozens of defendants. The arrests are mainly small and medium-sized, with the ringleaders in each district "holding" the money; no large-scale cases have been discovered yet (the largest seizure was in Thanh Chuong with 76 million VND).

Illustrative image.

Currently, besides Vinh City, considered the "hotspot" for illegal lottery gambling in the province, it has spread to rural areas in Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai Town, Do Luong, Quy Hop, etc. Gamblers exploit lottery results (usually the Northern Vietnam lottery results) to deceive people and make illicit profits. To effectively prevent and combat this illegal gambling problem, functional agencies in our province have made many efforts. Along with diversifying lottery games and expanding ticket sales areas so that people can participate in healthy prize-winning games, the Provincial Lottery Company has strengthened propaganda and integrated it into widely introducing the functions and forms of the lottery so that people know and stay away from fraudulent forms of prize-winning entertainment such as illegal lottery gambling…

However, one of the shortcomings of the current lottery business, and also the reason why illegal lottery betting attracts so many people, is that the betting method is quite simple; players can participate via phone number, email, or text message. In addition, because lottery betting is an illegal form of gambling, the costs are minimized, making both those who place bets (earning commissions) and those who win prizes easily lured in. Currently, there are two types of lottery betting: lottery betting and lotto betting. According to investigators, although the winnings are not high (1 in 20), lotto betting offers a higher chance of winning, so it is often more popular; in fact, revenue from lotto betting usually accounts for the majority of revenue from arrests.

Colonel Pham Hoai Nam, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (PC 45), shared: "Organizing gambling through lottery betting is a type of hidden crime, not easy to combat and eliminate. When authorities crack down and crack down hard, these individuals lie low, and vice versa. From the bookmakers to the players, they are all connected and use information technology. After placing bets, they delete them immediately, making it difficult for law enforcement to verify and collect evidence."

To bust a large-scale illegal lottery operation, the police force has to put in considerable effort, sometimes secretly monitoring the operation for months. During the investigation, telecommunications companies, citing the need to protect customer information, refuse to provide subscriber names, creating several obstacles and difficulties. Furthermore, according to the law, the value of seized evidence related to illegal lottery activities is now more strictly regulated, so even if someone is caught participating in the operation, it's not possible to arbitrarily arrest them or seize their equipment as before...

In Nghe An province, there are currently about 350 lottery ticket agents of the Nghe An Lottery Company Limited. Besides Vinh City and Cua Lo Town, the company's lottery agents have reached several remote districts such as Thanh Chuong, Thai Hoa Town, and Do Luong… Mr. Nguyen Phan Tinh - Director of the Nghe An Lottery Company, said: In recent years, implementing the provincial People's Committee's plan to develop lottery business activities in the province, the company has contributed to making participation in prize-winning games healthier and more transparent by bringing the lottery to a wider audience. In addition to selling traditional lottery tickets, the company also sells scratch-off lottery tickets on the spot, self-selected lotto tickets; and connects with the Northern Lottery to sell tickets to serve the diverse needs of customers... Thanks to this, in recent years, the company has created jobs and stable income for over 720 agents.

Besides expanding its network, the company also advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue directives to relevant agencies to actively combat and crack down on illegal gambling; establish a hotline to provide information and coordinate with authorities to effectively combat gambling activities in the form of lottery betting, thereby protecting the company's business environment. However, through practical investigation and public feedback, the illegal lottery betting activity in the province is potentially becoming more complex and could escalate significantly. Recent arrests in districts and towns such as Yen Thanh, Hoang Mai, and Thai Hoa are all areas where the company has no ticket sales agents or only sells tickets with very low sales.

Vinh City – the area with the highest number of lottery ticket vendors and the most rampant illegal gambling activities – has seen limited detection and arrests. In many areas around schools, hospitals, and residential neighborhoods, people openly record bets without any enforcement or warnings. Explaining this phenomenon, a representative from the investigating agency stated: While arresting those recording bets isn't difficult, they can only be given administrative penalties and released. The main ringleaders must be apprehended to have grounds for prosecution, but these individuals rarely reveal themselves… Although the lottery company has regulations requiring lottery ticket vendors to display signs with their names, tablecloths, photo ID cards, company contracts, and lottery tickets for sale; and vendors to sign commitments not to record illegal bets… the reality is that for every lottery ticket vendor, there's an equal number of illegal betting operations nearby, making it impossible for the company to take action. This is not to mention the fact that lottery ticket vendors themselves also record illegal bets.

In my opinion, to effectively combat the vice of gambling in the form of illegal lottery betting, the lottery company must, on the one hand, strengthen inspections of lottery ticket sales outlets, especially in Vinh City, to ensure compliance with the commitment not to engage in illegal lottery betting; on the other hand, the Provincial People's Committee needs to continue directing relevant agencies to intensify crackdowns on gambling dens and illegal lottery betting activities, contributing to maintaining social order. Furthermore, it is necessary to diversify lottery games to attract more people to participate; open more sales points and improve sales methods so that anyone who wants to can purchase tickets, thus helping to avoid the vice of illegal lottery betting.

Phuong Ha