Officials have called for enhanced cultural gambling values and tighter control of offshore activities.

Key points

• Vietnamese games hold only around 12% of the domestic market
• ABTEI blocked or removed 1,081 illegal games in 2025, up 40% year-on-year
• Authorities plan new transparency tools and industry development initiatives
   

Vietnamese gambling and finance regulators are calling for major systemic changes as the nation looks to strengthen its domestic gaming industry, following growing concerns around the influence of foreign-origin content on young players.

The discussion, reported by VietNamNet, initially emerged during the Authority of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information's (ABTEI) 2025 year-end review and 2026 planning conference on 29 December.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, Deputy Director of ABTEI, said games produced by local developers currently account for only about 12% of the national market. She warned that young users are increasingly exposed to harmful or unregulated content distributed across borders and called for Vietnam to expand domestic game production while embedding cultural and historical values into titles.

Indeed, Huyen said enhancing production alone is insufficient without reducing risks associated with foreign games. In 2025, ABTEI took down or blocked 1,081 illegal games, marking a 40% increase compared to 2024, and removed 432 domains and websites linked to gambling or unlawful promotions. The authority also imposed fines in seven cases and revoked 40 gaming-related licenses, including two G1 service licenses, during 2025.
 

To bolster oversight, ABTEI has developed database software to manage licensed online games. Under the new system, each licensed game will display a distinctive logo that redirects users to an official information page, improving transparency and enabling regulators to track compliance more effectively.

Officials also discussed long-term strategies for industry development. Nguyen Ngoc Hoi, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Culture and Sports, said the city is interested in co-hosting an international game festival with ABTEI. The proposal aligns with national cultural industry goals, which target VND 25trn (US$1bn) in domestic online gaming revenue by 2030.

Hoi said Vietnam must build collaborative platforms to guide growth and position gaming as a future national strength. Elsewhere this month, police in Vietnam dismantled a forest-based illegal gambling ring following multiple evasion tactics.

Source

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