The suspects are seized by the police. — Photo courtesy of the Quảng Trị Police

QUẢNG TRỊ — Police in Quảng Trị Province have begun criminal proceedings against 16 people for gambling offences.

The case is linked to the Lương Sơn TV system, which was illegally broadcasting football matches and sporting evening then directing viewers to online betting platforms. 

According to the initial investigation, the group operates under the name 'Lương Sơn TV', led in Việt Nam by a person with the nickname FDR OBANK, who worked in association with the OK9 online gambling house system in a closed model.

The police determined that the suspects used specialised equipment to receive OTT broadcast signals or satellite signals from sporting tournaments under the lawful exploitation rights of television stations and copyright holders, then broadcast them for free on the 'Lương Sơn TV' website system with many different domain names.

During the broadcast, commentators and customer-care staff continuously promoted and guided viewers to register accounts, deposit money and join betting at the OK9 house through links pinned on the website or shared on social networking platforms and messaging applications.

The police assessed that this was a new operating method, combining acts of infringing on television copyright with the organisation of online gambling, affecting the lawful rights and interests of copyright holders, while also posing many risks to security and public order in cyberspace.

Initial investigation results show that the group operated according to a high-tech criminal model, with tightly assigned tasks, and the entire process was carried out in cyberspace.

Previously, the group set up its place of operation in the Krong Bavet area in Cambodia, then shifted its operating method to Việt Nam from early this year.

Members worked online in many localities, used nicknames to communicate via encrypted applications, combined overseas servers and continuously changed domain names in order to conceal traces.

Salaries were paid in the digital currency USDT via e-wallets, while payment was made through bank accounts not in the real name of the holder.

By the time it was detected, the OK9 – Lương Sơn TV system had tens of thousands of active player accounts, with the total amount of money transacted from gambling organisation and illegal rebroadcasting estimated at more than VNĐ91.5 trillion (US$57.1 million) per month.

Besides organising gambling, the investigators also determined that the reception and rebroadcasting without permission of copyrighted sports programmes also showed signs of the offence of infringing on copyright and related rights under Article 225 of the Penal Code.

Pirated football streaming websites

For many years, pirated football-streaming websites have become a familiar address for a section of fans in Việt Nam.

The common point of these websites is that they exploit content without owning broadcast copyright, then make money through online advertising or betting links.

With just a few clicks, users can watch top-class matches without having to pay, causing traffic to such platforms to increase sharply over a long period.

This reality makes the football copyright market in Việt Nam face many difficulties.

On March 5 this year, the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention – Ministry of Public Security said that the unit had taken the lead, coordinating with Hưng Yên Provincial Police, to smash the case of copyright and related-rights infringement; organising gambling and gambling on the “Xôi Lạc TV” system. — VNS