Authorities in Vietnam have taken a new approach to fighting the country’s gambling black market.
As reported by local outlet VietnamNet, Hanoi Police raided the offices of the digital marketing business Super Thi Seo Media Services and arrested its CEO, Pham Ngoc Manh.
The company is accused of helping drive traffic to illegal gambling websites while masquerading as a legitimate marketing company.
Alongside the CEO, 17 other managers and employees were detained under suspicion of assisting the operation.
Police said that the company has generated approximately VND3.7bn (£105,830) from promoting illegal websites from the beginning of 2026. These included 22 Vietnamese-language gambling platforms.
Raids on locations connected to the company uncovered VND7 billion (£199,714) in cash and assets converted from cryptocurrency holdings, a savings account worth VND3 billion (£85,736), 29 computers and 41 mobile phones.
Manh is accused of using 41 electronic wallets to receive payments from illegal websites.
An effective new avenue?
Fighting the black market has largely focused on blocking websites or directly taking down illegal gambling platforms.
However, targeting companies that enable such operators is beginning to emerge as a viable alternative to curtailing the illegal sector.
Earlier this year, Japan’s National Police Agency said that 25 individuals out of the 221 arrested in 2025 suspected of being part of illegal gambling activity were detained for being operators, affiliates or payment processors for online gambling networks.
Meanwhile, speaking at this week’s Gaming in Holland conference, the Dutch Gambling Authority’s (KSA) Director of Licensing and Supervision, Ella Seijsener, said that the KSA plans to target the black market’s infrastructure in a renewed fight against the sector.
She said: “We intend to break down the infrastructure around illegal providers and make it impossible for them to operate in our Dutch markets.
“We are open about the fact that fines are almost impossible to collect and thus are almost never paid. What is more effective is our comprehensive approach by working with hosting providers, banks, payment service providers and marketing companies.”