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Is Online Poker Legal in Vietnam? Guide for Locals and Foreigners
As poker is widely popular around the world, it is only natural that it has fans in Vietnam, too. While you might not struggle to find a reliable online poker platform there, what about the law? Is it legal? Our team has tried to answer this question and find the best poker sites for Vietnamese players that would be safe to play in the current conditions.
Best Vietnam poker sites for 2025
With all restrictions in mind, it can be quite challenging to find a safe place to play online poker in Vietnam. For locals, even more so than for tourists. To make the situation easier, our team researched to find the safest online websites possible. You can use our list of secure offshore platforms.
| Category | Poker room | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Best poker site in Vietnam | Narural8 | 200% up to $1,000 |
| ✅ Ring games 24\7 | BetOnline | 100% up to $1,000 |
| ✅ Crypto accepted | CoinPoker | 150% up to $2,000 |
| ✅ Best tournaments | WPT Global | 100% up to $1,000 |
| ✅ No download required | Stake Poker | VIP Club |
Benefits of our affiliate service:
- Top rakeback deals.
- Professional support for all inquiries seven days a week.
Natural8
Natural8 is a popular Asian skin of the GGPoker network, available to players from Vietnam and fully localized into Vietnamese.
The online poker room offers:
- NLH, PLO, 6+ Hold'em cash games and fast poker Rush&Cash.
- Spins & Gold with prizes up to $1M.
MTT with large guarantees, including regular WSOP Online series, Bounty Hunters and others.
New players receive a 200% bonus up to $1,000 and a ticket to a freeroll with a prize pool of $500. The loyalty program offers a rakeback of up to 60% of the rake, and daily leaderboards provide additional prizes.
Deposits and withdrawals are possible via cryptocurrency and local payment services. The offshore Anjouan license allows WPT Global to operate in the region without restrictions.
BetOnline Poker
BetOnline is a part of the Chico network, open to players from Vietnam. Despite working under a low-prestige Panama license, the platform provides a high level of security and fast transaction processing.
Here, cash games are held on Texas Hold'em, Omaha, PLO5/6 with stakes up to $5/$10. Unlike many competitors, a significant part of the traffic is concentrated at 9-max tables.
The monthly guaranteed MTT prize pool exceeds $4M. Among the SnG formats are the unique Windfall, 8-Bomb and Mystery Bounty.
Players can take advantage of a generous 100% bonus of up to $1,000, as well as a special deal from our affiliate.
WPT Global
WPT Global is a young, but already in the world's TOP-3 online poker site in terms of traffic.
The most popular format is 8-max Texas Hold'em tables with an ante and straddle up to $400. PLO, PLO5, 6+ Hold'em and fast poker are also available. In addition to events with guarantees of up to $100K–$200K, the tournament selection constantly offers satellites where you can win tickets and packages to live WPT series.
New players receive a 100% bonus up to $3,000. Special offers include 30% rakeback for Omaha players and 40% rakeback for NL$25/50/100+ players starting new tables.
Is online poker legal in Vietnam?
Vietnam does not recognize or regulate online poker. The combination of strict laws, including the Criminal Code, means that playing it for real money, whether through local or offshore websites, is considered illegal. This is quite confusing, as it is officially prohibited for locals but tolerated for tourists. Licensed land-based casinos also allow foreign players, and international poker tournaments (for example, the famous ATP) have regularly been hosted for tourists.
There are several laws that you need to know about in connection with online poker prohibition. For example, Decree 03/2017 or Decree 144/2021, which restricted gambling by explicitly banning card games of chance played for money, even in private or casual settings.
There are no legal, licensed online poker platforms in the country. However, you can access land-based facilities and try to take part in a tournament. Though it will also have a lot of limitations.
Vietnamese authorities increasingly monitor online transactions, especially through banks and e-wallets, to detect gambling-related activity. Unlike many countries where online poker is banned, but common players are not prosecuted, in Vietnam, players have been detained or fined for involvement in illegal gambling. If the amount of money involved is under 5 million VND (~US$200), players may face:
- Fines ranging from 1 million to 2 million VND (~US$40–80).
- Confiscation of gambling-related items (e.g., cash, phones, computers).
- A formal warning or police report on record.
If the gambling amount is 5 million VND or more, it can be considered a crime and lead to much bigger fines or even imprisonment.
The punishment for organising or hosting online poker is even more severe.
| Type of Gambling | Is Eligible? |
|---|---|
| Online poker sites | ❌ Illegal |
| Land-based poker rooms | ✅ Only tournaments allowed under licensed clubs |
| Sports Betting | ⚠️ Limited pilot on football betting; no full legalization yet |
| Casino Gambling | ⚠️ Only legal for foreigners |
| Online Casinos | ❌ Illegal |
| State Lottery (Vietlott) | ✅ Legal |
The future of poker in Vietnam
Even if there is some movement towards legalizing online poker in the country, it will most likely not happen anytime soon. The fact is that in 2024, the country did not simplify, but rather made the rules regarding online gambling stricter, including poker with Decree 147/2024.
Still, there is movement toward broader reform. A National Assembly resolution issued April 8, 2025, calls for a comprehensive legal framework for lotteries, betting, and casinos by 2025. Plus, sports betting is legal if it is offline, so there may be a chance, although it is very weak.
Payment methods in Vietnam
Of course, players in Vietnam operate with many payment methods. However, when it comes to online poker or gambling in general, many of these platforms monitor and may block transactions related to betting or offshore gaming. These are the options that are commonly available:
- Bank Transfers. Most domestic banks are connected through NAPAS, which is Vietnam’s national interbank system. In theory, players can use bank transfers on offshore websites, but banks actively monitor and block transactions flagged as gambling-related.
- E-Wallets. For example, Momo, ZaloPay, ViettelPay, and ShopeePay. Unfortunately, these wallets prohibit gambling-related transactions. Users risk account suspension if caught transferring funds to or from gambling services.
- Visa/Mastercard. These are one of the most common payment options. However, banks can block gambling-related card transactions, especially to offshore sites.
- Crypto. It is one of the best options due to its anonymity. In Vietnam, crypto is not officially recognized by the government. It won’t be blocked, but of course, you won’t have any legal protection when using it.
Live poker in Vietnam
The situation with live poker is also quite tricky. Playing poker in land-based casinos with cash is strictly prohibited for locals. Foreigners may participate in cash games at certain venues, but these are often conducted under a "tournament buy-in" model to circumvent legal restrictions. The most prominent venues are:
- Saigon Poker Club in Ho Chi Minh City: One of the most prominent venues, hosting the Vietnam Poker Games (VPG) festival.
- Corona Resort & Casino: It hosts international events like the Asian Poker Tour (APT). Cash games are available here for foreigners.
- Pro Poker Club: Known for its "tournament buy-in" model to facilitate cash game play for foreigners.
Tournaments are legal for both locals and foreigners, but also need to be treated with caution. Even home poker is considered illegal if money or prizes are involved. For example, if it uses cash-to-chips exchanges or monetary rewards, it falls under this prohibition. If the stakes exceed VND 5 million, the potential penalties include fines from VND 20–100 million, community service, and even prison between six months and seven years.
Best players from Vietnam
Nguyen Le, who leads the Vietnam All Time Money List with $4M+ in live tournament winnings, has only won $23.5K offline by the start of 2025. His family didn’t even know he played poker.
But in January, the Vietnamese went heads-up at the $3,500 Borgata Poker Open Championship and ended up with $425,000. In July, Nguyen won the $3,500 BetMGM Championship at the Aria Casino, earning $777,777. He was left with one chip at the pre-final.
Arriving at the World Series, Le registered for the $50,000 High Roller and won it, receiving a payout of $2,686,913.
Two more players from Vietnam have managed to surpass the $3M mark in winnings in their careers:
- Minh Phu Dao
- Thai Ha.
We should also not forget about the Vietnamese who have long since become US citizens. The most famous of them is Scotty Nguyen. A member of the Poker Hall of Fame, winner of five WSOP bracelets and winner of the ME WSOP in 1998.
Conclusion
Online poker is illegal. The laws are strict, and even casual poker players can face charges for playing at their homes. In a situation like this, the only option is to find a secure offshore poker site to play online, with a good reputation and payment methods that will bear a low risk of blockage.
Responsible gambling
Vietnam is extremely strict about responsible gaming, not only in land-based casinos, which are partially permitted in the country, but also in gambling in general, in whatever form it takes. The government runs campaigns to warn about the risks of illegal gambling and gambling addiction.
In support of their actions, it sets heavy penalties to discourage illegal gambling. However, Vietnam still doesn’t have a dedicated national responsible gambling organization or a line you can call, so in terms of responsible gambling tools, you need to set your limits yourself. Good thing that big offshore sites can provide you with links for international organizations.
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