VietNamNet Bridge - “The Project Management Unit is working to complete and submit the proposal on a football pool to the Government for approval”, said Mr Nguyen Trong Hy, Vice Head of the National Committee of Sports and Gymnastics, at a press conference in Hanoi on December 22, 2006.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hy, Vice Head of the National Committee of Sports and Gymnastics

Accordingly, the ceiling price for each football pool would be 450,000VND. If the Government passes this proposal, football fans will have a new legal playground to make the matches more exciting in early 2007.

According to Mr Hy, the National Assembly has approved the laws on sports and gymnastics with no items banning the football pool, which lays a solid groundwork for football wagering in the future. Such an issue was also put on the agenda of the Government’s regular session for debate last October. The Prime Minister has assigned the National Committee of Sports and Gymnastics to take charge of completing the project for the Government’s approval.

The National Committee of Sports and Gymnastics is now considering associating with an overseas company to regulate the betting. In this case, the chairman of the Management Board or general director must be a Vietnamese. Currently, the England-based Ladbrokes tops the list of potential companies in this matter.

Despite no market for football pools in Vietnam so far, illegal football gambling still operates in various invisible manners. “Every year, the Ministry of Public Security discovers billions of USD from the domestic market flowing into football betting centres in Hong Kong and Macao”, said Mr. Hy, adding that a legal football pool would not only meet citizens' wishes but also help reduce rampant gambling and pump more money into the national sports industry.

(Source: VNE)