Mai Anh Việt and other defendants at the court on May 26. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội People’s Court on Tuesday opened a first-instance trial of 58 defendants accused of running a large transnational online gambling and money-laundering network.

Prosecutors allege that ringleader Mai Anh Việt, 45, faces charges of organising gambling and money laundering. The remaining defendants are charged with organising gambling or gambling.

The case was uncovered on May 18, 2025, when Lao authorities raided a hotel in Vientiane and detained Việt and 29 other Vietnamese nationals allegedly operating online betting through the websites Bóng X9, AZbet88, and CR88. The suspects and evidence were later transferred to Việt Nam for investigation and prosecution.

Investigators said Việt launched Bóng X9 in early 2022, linking it to major bookmakers including bong88.com, viva88.com and sbobet.com.

After poor performance, he allegedly partnered in late 2022 with Nguyễn Hữu Sơn, 42, from HCM City, to rebuild the platform, purchase credits from overseas bookmakers and resell them to bettors.

Sơn then contacted a Singaporean known on Telegram as Lawren, also called Chinh, whose team handled software development and site maintenance while Việt’s group managed marketing, player recruitment, account setup and cash-in and cash-out operations, according to the indictment.

Two additional sites, AZbet88 and EX88, were launched in early 2023.

Prosecutors said Việt ran the operation from the seventh floor of the Paradie Hotel in Vientiane and two other locations in Xaysettha District. He allegedly recruited Vietnamese staff to work in Laos, providing accommodation and paying salaries or profit shares, sometimes via a Lao associate named Thiện.

From January 2023 to May 2025, total wagering on the three platforms exceeded VNĐ4,000 billion (about US$151.82 million), the indictment states.

Around January 2023, Việt hired livestream promoter Trương Đình Thanh Quang, 35, to broadcast football matches and analyse betting lines five nights a week from 9pm to 2am to attract users to the platforms. Quang allegedly earned VNĐ1.4 billion.

A 14-member support team handled customer service, including account creation, deposit and withdrawal guidance via Telegram and password resets. The team was supervised by Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Chi, 45, from Hà Nội’s Giảng Võ ward.

To disguise proceeds, Việt allegedly moved funds through personal accounts and into informal rotating savings pools. Between January 17, 2023 and May 18, 2025, he transferred more than VNĐ5 billion from accounts into such pools, instructing his wife to track balances.

Authorities estimate Việt concealed the criminal origin of more than VNĐ18.8 billion. His alleged personal illicit gains exceed VNĐ5 billion.

The trial is expected to last three days. — VNS