Is it a violation of the law to play cards with a bet of a few thousand dong in Vietnam?

Is it a violation of the law to play cards with a bet of a few thousand dong in Vietnam? - image from internet

According to the current legal regulations, engaging in gambling activities with a small bet ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 CND is considered a violation of the law. If you engage in illegal gambling activities with a bet of lower than 5 million VND, you will be subject to administrative fines. However, if the bet exceeds 5 million dong, you may face criminal liability. To be specific:

Pursuant to Article 26 of the Decree 167/2013/ND-CP stipulating the sanction of administrative violation in social security, order and safety, prevention and fighting of social evils, fire and domestic violence:

1. A caution or a fine of between VND 200,000 and 500,000 shall be imposed for buying illegal lottery number;

2. A fine of between VND 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 shall be imposed for one of the acts of gambling as follows:

a) Illegally gambling with one of the forms such as xoc dia, ta la, to tom, tu lo kho, tam cuc, 3 cay, tu sac or other forms which are lost or won in cash or in kind;

b) Gambling with machine or illegal electronic games;

c) Betting in cash or in other forms in sports competition, entertainment or other activities;

d) Selling illegal lottery sheet or printed matters used for playing illegal lottery;

3. A fine of between VND 2,000,000 and 5,000,000 shall be imposed for one of the acts as follows:

a) Receiving deposit, pawn or loan at casinos or other gambling places;

b) Concealing the illegal gambling;

4. A fine of between VND 5,000,000 and 10,000,000 shall be imposed for one of the acts of gambling organization as follows:

a) Enticing, inciting or gathering people for illegal gambling;

b) Using home or accommodation or other means and locations to organize the gambling;

c) Illegally placing gambling or electronic game machine;

d) Organizing illegal betting activities;

5. A fine of between VND 10,000,000 and 20,000,000 shall be imposed for one of the acts of organizing the illegal lottery as follows:

a) As a banker;

b) Organizing the production and distribution of illegal lottery sheets or other printed matters used for illegal lottery playing;

c) Organizing network for sales of illegal lottey;

d) Organizing the betting in sports competition activities, entertainment or in the other forms to play gambling for money;

6. Additional sanctions:

Confiscating the exhibits and means used for administrative violation and confiscating money obtained due to administrative violation for the acts specified in Clause 1, 2, Point a of Clause 3, Point b, c and Article of Clause 4 and 5 of this Article;

7. Foreigners who have acts of administrative violation specified in Clause 1,2, 3, 4, and 5 of this Article, depending on the seriousness of violation, may be sanctioned in the form of expulsion from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In addition, pursuant to Clause 120, Article 1 of the Law on amendments to the Criminal Code in 2017 stipulating regulations on gambling:

1. A person who illegally gambles in any shape or form with the stakes (in cash or kind) assessed at from VND 5,000,000 to under VND 50,000,000, or under VND 5,000,000 despite the fact that he/she has incurred an administrative penalty for the same offence or any of the offences specified in Article 322 hereof or has an unspent conviction for the same offence or any of the offences specified in Article 322 hereof shall be liable to a fine of from VND 20,000,000 to VND 100,000,000, face a penalty of up to 03 year's community sentence or 06 - 36 months' imprisonment.

Therefore, in the case of playing cards or engaging in games for recreational purposes where there is no monetary or material gain involved, it would not be considered a violation of the law.

Best regards!