Suspected ringleaders and key operators of two online football betting syndicates after their arrest in HCM City. Authorities have charged 85 people in connection with the case. — Photo courtesy of HCM City Police

HCM CITY — Police in HCM City have dismantled two major online football betting syndicates with an estimated combined transaction value of more than VNĐ3.5 trillion (US$132.6 million), arresting and prosecuting 85 suspects as part of a nationwide crackdown during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The municipal police said on Tuesday that investigators had uncovered two gambling rings allegedly operating through online football betting platforms, leading to charges of organising gambling and gambling against 85 people.

The operation forms part of a nationwide campaign ordered by the Ministry of Public Security to combat football betting and other gambling-related crimes during the World Cup.

According to HCM City Police, officers from the Criminal Police Division launched a specialised investigation in early June after identifying a network allegedly led by Huỳnh Lê Thanh Long and several accomplices suspected of organising online football betting across HCM City and multiple other provinces.

Investigators said the syndicates obtained high-level "Master" betting accounts from operators in Cambodia before distributing them into multiple lower-tier "Agent" and "Member" accounts for bettors in HCM City and elsewhere to place wagers through the Bong88.com website.

Authorities said the rings had been operating since October 2025. Preliminary findings estimate that more than VNĐ3.5 trillion was wagered through the two networks before they were dismantled.

Police described the operation as one of the largest football betting cases uncovered recently, saying the syndicates were organised through a hierarchical structure and operated across several localities.

On June 29, officers from HCM City Police, working with police in Lâm Đồng Province and other localities, simultaneously raided multiple locations and summoned suspects for questioning.

During the investigation, authorities detained 150 people for questioning.

To date, the HCM City Police Investigation Agency has formally charged and ordered the detention of 85 suspects, of whom 21 have been charged with organising gambling, while the remaining 64 face gambling charges. 

Police said the investigation remains ongoing as officers gather additional evidence to identify and prosecute other individuals allegedly involved.

Việt Nam prohibits most forms of gambling, with limited exceptions such as state-run lotteries and licensed casinos for eligible patrons.

Authorities have intensified efforts in recent years to dismantle cross-border online gambling and football betting operations, particularly those linked to overseas betting platforms. — VNS