According to the indictment presented to a court in HCMC, Le Hung Nam and Tran Thanh Tu were involved in illegal gambling by placing bets ranging from VND100-200 million (US$4,080-8,160) per game. It is important to note that all forms of gambling are prohibited in Vietnam.
In the ongoing case, a total of thirty-nine individuals, primarily comprised of golfers and businesspeople, have been accused of engaging in gambling activities and orchestrating illegal gambling operations. Additionally, a member of the military who was implicated in the case is currently under investigation by the military authorities.
In March, a domestic tournament was arranged by the Vietnam Golf Association in the picturesque northern province of Vinh Phuc.
On March 23, just before the tournament commenced, Tran Anh Linh, the deputy head of the Southern Golfer Team, organized a poker gathering between his team and the Northern Golfer Team.
On March 20th, Linh and his associates were apprehended by police officers from the Ministry of Public Security. The group was found to be organizing a poker game at a hotel in Vinh Phuc, involving a total of 18 participants.
They successfully confiscated chips with an estimated value of VND4.6 billion.
According to investigators, by that time, Hung had suffered a loss of VND134 million, whereas Tu emerged as the winner with VND165 million.
It was discovered that Linh and his associates had been involved in arranging poker games on multiple occasions at various locations, including the same hotel, as well as a house and an apartment in HCMC, starting from early March.
