World Cup "hidden" storm: Part 1: Into the vortex

(Baonghean) - Unlike previous World Cups, with the support of high technology, bookmakers and gamblers this World Cup season are hiding themselves well to avoid legal punishment. To have a close look at the gambling game of the 2014 World Cup, we are forced to "join in" like "real" gamblers...

INTRODUCTION

In the province, Vinh City is always the most bustling place during the World Cup season. At 11 pm, when the matches start, it is not difficult for us to recognize the gamblers in the big coffee shops. However, most of them are watching attentively, expressing joy or disappointment, but do not see them betting on each other like in previous World Cups. If anything, they are sometimes busy with their phones...

Ph's message sent about the match between Argentina and Switzerland on July 1, 2014.

After many night trips, until the end of the World Cup group stage, a few hours before Portugal vs. Ghana, we were lucky to have D, a young man from Hue, a barber on Dinh Cong Trang street, introduce us to Ph - a "guaranteed" bookmaker. Meeting at a coffee shop on Hong Bang street, Ph was about 45 years old, a native of Vinh city, with a rather scholarly build. D introduced: We work at company B, love football, so we want to "do a little" to "increase the emotions". Hearing that, Ph was quite excited. He said: "Civil servants and public employees also participate a lot, they play very sophisticatedly so they rarely lose. You "blue collar" people also play very well". Then Ph introduced each betting method. From betting on the whole match, betting on each round, betting on vibrating balls (betting on goals in the last minutes of the match), betting on scores...

In short, there are countless forms of "bets". At the same time, Ph did not forget to instruct us on how to "turn" the bet to "lose less when the team we bet on has a chance of losing completely". When he saw that we had absorbed the rules, Ph said: "What are your needs? Playing at my place is guaranteed. Win or lose will be paid at the end of the next day. I only work for the boss and do not dare to be too greedy...". How much can you play each time? "Depends on your ability. The lowest is 1 "cu" (one million VND - PV) per match. But it is best to play moderately, do not let it affect your family, it is very annoying. We do not want to have any trouble. It is different with "social" people..." - Ph seemed to sincerely advise. And we agreed to bet 1 "cu" on Portugal with a handicap of 3/4, 10/8 for Ghana. That is, if Portugal wins 1 - 0, we will get half the bet (500,000 VND); Win 2-0, get full money (1 million VND); if the two teams draw, lose all money.

That night, we lived in the excitement and anxiety of gambling addicts until the last minute of the match. And, thanks to Ronaldo's frustrating and somewhat careless shot at the end of the match, Portugal beat Ghana 2-1, which meant we won half the money, 500,000 VND. Right at the end of the match, Ph texted from a junk phone number: +500. Ok. The next afternoon, Ph called: You got 500,000 VND, when you want to get it, make an appointment so I can have someone bring it to you. We replied: Leave it there and continue playing tomorrow. Ok. Ph said and hung up.

One day off, when the World Cup entered the knockout round of 16, we continued to text Ph to receive bets and play 5 more matches, including Brazil vs. Chile, Netherlands vs. Mexico, France vs. Nigeria, Argentina vs. Switzerland, and Belgium vs. USA. The result was 2 wins, 3 losses, and a total loss of 650,000 VND. At this time, our relationship with Ph had become much "sweeter". In the conversation before the World Cup entered the quarterfinals, Ph said: "If you guys like to play directly, I will give you the password to my network to play. If you have any close friends, invite them to play together because this is not convenient for both you and me." What does that mean? "There are all kinds of bets on my website. If you like to play however you like, just fill in the points (the amount of money to play), click on it, then Enter.

Wins and losses are transferred to the account. Later, the English Premier League, Italy, and Spain can still be played like that during the season..." Then Ph suggested: "My boss in Hanoi, they create accounts and always put in a full 100 million VND. Players who win more than that amount will be transferred. And if the player loses, I will transfer it to them every few days. In short, it's very fair, convenient, and safe. You can play, but if you want to earn a little, I will divide the table for you." How do you get it? "If the player wins, whoever is kind enough will give them a little bonus, but you don't get anything from the house. But if the player loses, for every million VND, you get 20,000 VND. Like we did this World Cup season, every match has at least a few dozen players. In the qualifying round, there are people who play all 4 matches/night. Every time they win a match, they lose a few dozen million, so our work every night of staying up all night is worth a couple of million dong...". What if they run away? Moreover, if the police find out, it's a disaster? While having fun, when the police are mentioned, Ph's voice suddenly becomes cold: "There are rules to playing, uncle...".

Hearing Ph say that, knowing we couldn't get involved any further, we pretended to regret that we had to go to the South for training soon so we couldn't accept.

99% "OUT OF THE WAY"

Many people have confirmed that if you don't gamble, you're "safe", but if you're involved in gambling, most of you "go to hell". And we have verified this story in Dien Chau town from the "instructions" of a breakfast shop owner. On a trip to Dien - Yen - Quynh, when we stopped by a breakfast shop near the People's Committee of Dien Chau district, we heard the shop owner sigh and say: "World Cup, World Cup. Their business is all sluggish". I asked why, everything looks fine, right? "It looks calm but in fact it's boiling, man. Staying up all night, spending all the money on gambling. No need to worry about working or eating anymore..." - the shop owner was annoyed. Then she clicked her tongue: "But it's like that everywhere, not just Dien Chau. Every World Cup season, everything is "dead" like straw. Only the bookies and pawnbrokers "get fat". If you don't believe me, just go to the pawnshop and you'll see, the parking lot is full of motorbikes...".

SH pawn shop in Dien Chau town.

Thanks to a member of Dien Thanh Commune Police, we got the address of SH Pawn Shop, located right in the center of Dien Chau Town. Stepping into the shop, it looked like a mobile phone store. Seeing that there were customers coming by car, the shop owner was eager: What do you need?

- Is this a pawnshop?

- Yes, we mainly do pawn services.

- Let us pawn some things for some money. But why can't we see any pawned items here?

- The warehouse behind the house is full of cars, there is no space. Now if someone comes with a motorbike, we will have no place to park it!

- How do you hold it here?

- Then hold valuables.

- I want to ask how much profit.

- One million a day 3,000 dong.

- Let us hold the vehicle registration.

- No. You don't need documents here, but you can use a car.

- Oh well. Let us keep the 10 million dong. We'll transfer the money to the card this afternoon and come back to get the car back.

- Borrow 10 million VND per day, have to pay 200,000 VND!.

- Interest rate up to 60% per month. Why are you forcing each other into such a difficult situation?

- That's how it is with urgent loans. If you don't want to borrow, then decide now so I can do the paperwork...

The first piece of receipt for a hot loan with 2% daily interest rate at SH shop, Dien Chau town.

Cao Trong Tai and the exhibits seized by Dien Chau police.

Money and exhibits seized by Dien Chau police in Cao Trong Tai's betting case.

While the owner of SH shop was busy writing the receipt, we asked a lot of questions to confirm the consequences of the World Cup that have been happening in this area. According to the owner of SH shop, at pawn shops in Dien Chau area, gamblers have had to pawn many valuable items such as motorbikes, mobile phones... and affirmed that many people will not be able to redeem them. To prove her words, she showed us a storage room of about 40 square meters that was packed with motorbikes of all kinds. "There. When pawning, everyone has to sign a commitment paper. If the loan is overdue, we have the right to sell..." - the owner of SH shop said. A few hours later, when we returned, the SH shop owner "generously" gave us a discount of 50,000 VND, returned the bike, and did not forget to borrow the receipt, tore off the loan content and said: "If you guys need to buy a bike on pawn, after the World Cup season, just call the phone number at the top of the receipt. Then you can choose freely...".

Internet cafe in Hung Xuan hamlet, Tay Hieu commune, Thai Hoa town, where Nguyen Van Cong organized football betting.

Working with Dien Chau District Police, officers and soldiers here said that football betting in this area is quite complicated and the situation of people participating in betting having to pawn their belongings and borrow money at "exorbitant" interest rates is not uncommon. Also at this time, we received news that in the area of ​​​​town 3-2 of Quy Hop district, the police forces had uncovered a large gambling ring in the form of football betting...

(continued)

Ha Giang - Le Viet