Participating in football betting can result in a prison sentence of 3 to 7 years.

Reply:

Betting on football matches, whether for money or goods, is an illegal gambling activity. Depending on the nature and severity, it may be subject to administrative penalties as stipulated in Decree No. 282/2025/ND-CP, effective from December 15, 2025 (replacing Decree No. 144/2021/ND-CP); or criminal prosecution under Article 321 of the 2015 Penal Code, as amended and supplemented in 2017.

Specifically, Article 321 stipulates the following regarding the crime of gambling:

1Anyone who engages in illegal gambling in any form where the stakes involve money or objects worth from VND 5,000,000 to less than VND 50,000,000, or less than VND 5,000,000 but has already been administratively penalized for this act or the act stipulated in Article 322 of this Code, or has been convicted of this crime or the crime stipulated in Article 322 of this Code and has not had their criminal record expunged and commits the offense again, shall be fined from VND 20,000,000 to VND 100,000,000, sentenced to non-custodial correctional labor for up to 3 years, or imprisoned from 6 months to 3 years.

2. Committing an offense falling under one of the following circumstances shall be punishable by imprisonment from 3 to 7 years:

a) It has a professional nature;

b) Money or objects used for gambling worth 50,000,000 VND or more;

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

d) Dangerous recidivism.

3. The offender may also be fined from VND 10,000,000 to VND 50,000,000.

Therefore, those participating in football betting may be fined from 20 to 100 million VND, sentenced to non-custodial correctional labor for up to 3 years, or imprisoned from 6 months to 3 years in the following cases:

- Betting on football in any form, where the stake is money or goods worth from 5 million VND to less than 50 million VND.

- Betting on football in any form where the amount lost is less than 5 million VND but falls under one of the following cases: having been previously penalized for administrative violations related to gambling or organizing gambling or betting; having been convicted of gambling or organizing gambling or betting, and the conviction has not been expunged, and the violation continues.

More serious offenses may include imprisonment from 3 to 7 years in cases of professional football betting, where the money or objects involved in betting are worth 50 million VND or more, where the crime is committed using the internet, computer networks, telecommunications networks, or electronic means, or where the offender is a dangerous repeat offender.

GH