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March
Experts talk about football betting
VietNamNet Bridge, Vietnam - Mar 20, 2006
The National Committee for Sports and Physical Training is designing
the project to submit to the government in the fourth quarter of
2006. Many sports support the idea while many others still wonder
about it.
Deputy Chairman of the National Committee for Sports and Physical
Training, Huynh Vinh Ai, said: “Legalizing football betting
will bring hundreds of millions dong to the state budget each year.
We have begun to compile the scheme after studying some betting
models worldwide. We are trying to finish the draft scheme in June
2006 to ask for contributions of opinions from ministries and other
sectors to submit to the government in early fourth quarter”.
The compilation committee includes representatives of the Vietnam
Football Federation (VFF), and related departments of the National
Committee for Sports and Physical Training, totaling eight members,
according to Mr. Ai.
“Football betting has been legalized in many countries. In
the Southeast Asia region, Singapore has done very well. Football
betting is indispensable in football life. I think Vietnam is not
an exception. However, we must have a legal form for betting which
is strictly controlled by laws. The most difficult issue now is
whether public opinion supports it or not because this is a sensitive
issue. I hope that public opinion will support it,” he added.
Le Hung Dung, Deputy Chairman in charge of financial issues of
VFF, a member of the compilation committee, said: “Everything
is just at the beginning. This is a sensitive issue and we need
time to complete the scheme, to ask for opinions from related ministries
and sectors and then ask for public opinion. I don’t want
to make it a big issue now”.
Deputy Chairman of the National Committee for Sports and Physical
Training, cum Chairman of VFF, Nguyen Trong Hy completely supports
legalising football betting, if it is scientifically managed to
avoid negative impacts.
“This scheme proves the new thinking of the sports sector
and it is initially supported by the government and the Ministry
of Finance. However, we still have to wait. In my opinion, the policy
of legalizing sports betting, firstly football betting, is sound,
as has been shown by the examples of other countries. We can’t
neglect a fact that betting is a real need in social life,”
Mr. Hy said.
“At present when betting is illegal in Vietnam, some people
seek to bet online illegally and money has run to the pockets of
foreign bankers. Some people told me that the sum is not less than
US$200mil,” he added.
Source Code: http://english.vietnamnet.vn |
