Two former provincial officials in Vietnam have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a high-profile gambling ring that allegedly handled more than $106 million in illegal bets, according to state media reports.
The case centers on an underground casino operation run by South Korean nationals out of Hanoi’s five-star Pullman Hotel. Prosecutors said the illegal ring involved over 140 participants, including government officials, Communist Party members, business executives, and entertainers.
The King Club, a luxurious gaming venue inside the hotel, is officially licensed to serve foreign visitors only, as Vietnam generally prohibits its citizens from gambling domestically. However, prosecutors alleged that local patrons were allowed to gamble by using membership cards registered under fabricated foreign identities.
Among those convicted was Ho Dai Dung, former vice-chairman of the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee, who was found to have wagered more than $7 million over 95 gambling sessions. He received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Ngo Ngoc Duc, a former Communist Party secretary for Hoa Binh City, was sentenced to three years for betting approximately $4.2 million, according to the Dan Tri news outlet.
Authorities continue to pursue the alleged mastermind of the operation, Kim In Sung, a South Korean national whose company had leased the casino premises. Kim is accused of fleeing Vietnam with more than $9 million in player funds and is currently the subject of an international wanted notice issued by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security.
On the same day, the Hanoi court sentenced four of Kim’s associates – three South Koreans and one Vietnamese – to prison terms ranging from two to four years, while another accomplice received a suspended sentence. State media reported that over 100 other individuals implicated in the case have yet to be tried. Investigators also noted that Vietnamese gamblers collectively recovered only about 0.22 percent of the total wagers placed.
