From Street Vendors to Billion-Dong Jackpots: Inside Vietnam's Lottery Industry
Last night, Vietnam's Vietlott computer lottery drew a jackpot of VND 257 billion — roughly USD 10 million.
It was the second-largest prize in Vietnamese lottery history, behind only the VND 345 billion jackpot drawn last July.
But these overnight-fortune stories only scratch the surface. There is far more to this industry than big winners.
USD 6.5 billion a year — more than the public security budget
In 2024, Vietnamese spent a combined USD 6.5 billion on lottery tickets. To put that in perspective, it roughly equals the Ministry of Public Security's entire annual budget.
Over the past five years the industry has grown about 10% annually, funneling more than VND 206 trillion into state coffers — about 2.5% of national revenue.
In some southern provinces, lottery income is a fiscal lifeline. Soc Trang's lottery company contributes 40% of provincial treasury revenue. Bac Lieu goes further: lottery income exceeds all provincial tax receipts combined.
Two systems: street lottery vs. computer lottery
Vietnam runs two parallel lottery systems, and they differ sharply.
The first is the "construction lottery" — the kind you see hawked on every Vietnamese street. Issued by local governments across all 63 provinces, each ticket costs VND 10,000 (about USD 0.40). Numbers are drawn daily at 4 p.m., and the top prize is fixed at VND 2 billion. Buyers pick from pre-printed numbers; they cannot choose their own.
The second is Vietlott, a computerized lottery introduced in 2011. It works like Powerball: players pick their own numbers, buy via mobile app, and jackpots roll over. Last night's VND 257 billion prize came from this system.
Half a million people sell tickets for a living
Walk any Vietnamese street and you will spot lottery vendors — often wearing conical hats, clutching a stack of tickets, weaving through restaurants and coffee shops.
An estimated 500,000 people earn their living this way. Most are elderly or disabled. They have no labor contracts, no health insurance, no social safety net.
A ticket sells for VND 10,000, and the vendor's cut is 10–12% — roughly VND 1,000–1,200. Selling 200 tickets a day brings in about VND 240,000, less than USD 10.
Unsold tickets are the vendor's loss. One seller said: "Since they increased the print run, I still get only 200 tickets a day. Whatever I can't sell, I eat the cost."
Meanwhile, lottery company employees earn comfortable salaries. At Hau Giang's lottery company the average monthly pay is VND 43 million (about USD 1,700); in Binh Phuoc it is VND 33 million (about USD 1,300).
Roots in the French colonial era
Vietnam's lottery history stretches back to the late 19th century. In 1883, Hanoi's St. Joseph Cathedral held a lottery to fund renovations.
In 1935, the French colonial government established the "Indochina Lottery," spanning Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Tickets were printed in French, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Khmer.
After reunification in 1975, the government took over and rebranded the lottery as "construction lottery" — revenue earmarked for local infrastructure. Vietlott arrived in 2011, and the two systems have run in parallel ever since.
Hope for the poor, or a poverty trap?
The official name — "construction lottery" — implies the proceeds fund public works. But in practice, the people buying and selling tickets are overwhelmingly from lower-income groups.
Research shows that residents of less-developed areas such as the Mekong Delta spend a disproportionate share of income on tickets. The poorer the province, the stronger lottery sales.
Lottery company staff earn comfortable monthly salaries. Street vendors make less than USD 10 a day. Same industry, two worlds.
Public skepticism around Vietlott
Vietlott has faced scrutiny in recent years.
Every time a massive jackpot is claimed, online sleuths spring into action. Winners collect their prizes wearing masks, and observers have noted identical masks across different winners. Some compared shoes, claiming they matched those worn by lottery shop owners. Conspiracy theories follow: Vietlott controls the software and printers — what stops them from printing a winning ticket after the draw and backdating it?
In 2016 a real controversy erupted — someone screenshot the website announcing the winning numbers at noon, though the draw was not held until 6 p.m. The company blamed a system bug. The public was unconvinced.
Vietlott maintains that masks comply with privacy law, that all winners' identities are verified by police, and that awards ceremonies are monitored by the Ministry of Finance and journalists.
