From Street Vendors to Billion-Dong Jackpots: The Real Face of 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 drawn last July.

But overnight-millionaire stories are just the surface. There's a lot more to this industry worth knowing.

USD 6.5 Billion a Year -- More Than the Police Budget

In 2024, Vietnamese spent a total of USD 6.5 billion on lottery tickets. To put that in perspective, it's roughly equal to the annual budget of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security.

Over the past five years, the lottery industry has grown about 10% annually. It has contributed a cumulative VND 206 trillion to government coffers, accounting for 2.5% of national revenue.

In some southern provinces, lottery income is the fiscal lifeline. Soc Trang province's lottery company accounts for 40% of provincial treasury revenue. Bac Lieu is even more extreme -- lottery income exceeds total provincial tax receipts.

Two Systems: Street Lottery vs. Computer Lottery

Vietnam runs two separate lottery systems, and they're very different.

The first is the "construction lottery," the kind you see on the streets. Issued by local governments across all 63 provinces and cities, each ticket costs VND 10,000 (about USD 0.40). Numbers are printed on paper -- you pick from what's available, no choosing your own. Draws happen daily at 4 PM, with a fixed top prize of VND 2 billion.

The second is Vietlott, a computerized lottery introduced in 2011. It works like a standard lotto game. You pick your own numbers, buy tickets via a mobile app, and the jackpot rolls over. Last night's VND 257 billion prize was this type.

500,000 People Sell Lottery Tickets for a Living

Walk any Vietnamese street and you'll spot them: people in conical hats carrying a stack of lottery tickets, weaving between restaurants and coffee shops.

About 500,000 people do this. Most are elderly or disabled. They have no employment contracts, no health insurance, no social safety net.

Each ticket sells for VND 10,000. The vendor's commission is 10-12%, roughly VND 1,000-1,200 per ticket. Sell 200 tickets a day and you earn about VND 240,000 -- under USD 10.

Unsold tickets come out of their own pocket. One vendor said: "Since they increased the print run, I still only get 200 tickets a day. Whatever I don't sell, I eat the loss."

The irony: lottery company employees earn comfortable salaries. In Hau Giang province, the average lottery company employee makes VND 43 million per month (about USD 1,700). In Binh Phuoc, it's VND 33 million (about USD 1,300).

A History Dating to French Colonial Rule

Vietnam's lottery traces back to the late 19th century. In 1883, Hanoi's St. Joseph's Cathedral held a lottery fundraiser for renovations.

In 1935, the French colonial government established the "Indochina Lottery," covering Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Tickets were printed in French, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Khmer.

After reunification in 1975, the government took over the lottery as a source of public construction funding -- hence the name "construction lottery." The Vietlott computer system was added in 2011, and the two systems have run in parallel ever since.

Hope for the Poor, or a Poverty Trap?

The official name is "construction lottery," meaning proceeds fund public works. But in practice, the people who buy and sell lottery tickets are mostly from lower-income groups.

Research shows residents of less-developed areas like the Mekong Delta are willing to spend a larger share of their income on lottery tickets. The poorer the area, the better the tickets sell.

Lottery company employees earn USD 1,300 to 1,700 a month. Street vendors make under USD 10 a day. Same industry, two different worlds.

Public Skepticism

Vietlott has faced its share of controversy.

Every time a big jackpot is drawn, online sleuths get to work. Winners always wear masks when collecting their prizes. People have noticed that different winners wear identical masks. Others have compared shoes, claiming they match those worn by lottery shop owners. Conspiracy theories follow: Vietlott has the software and printers -- what's to stop them from printing a winning ticket after the draw and backdating it?

In 2016, a real scandal erupted. Someone took a screenshot showing the winning announcement posted on the website at noon, even though the draw didn't happen until 6 PM. The company blamed a system bug. The public wasn't convinced.

Vietlott's position: the masks protect winner privacy as required by law, all winners' identities are verified by police, and award ceremonies are supervised by the Ministry of Finance and journalists.

Sources: VnExpress, Tuoi Tre, Thanh Nien, Vietnam General Statistics Office