October 29, 2025
HANOI – The names of Vietnamese gamblers were disguised as foreign names on membership cards so they could take part in illegal gambling at the Pullman Hanoi Hotel to evade detection by the authorities in Hà Nội.
The information was revealed at the first-instance trial of 141 defendants in a case involving more than US$106 million in illegal gambling at King Club, located inside the Pullman Hanoi Hotel.
The Hà Nội People’s Court held the trial on Tuesday morning.
Among the defendants, five have been charged by the Supreme People’s Procuracy with ‘organising gambling’ under Clause 2, Point b, Article 322 of the Penal Code.
They include South Korean nationals Cho Choon Keun, Choi Jin Bok and Shim Hawn Hee, all managers of the King Club branch of Việt Hải Đăng Company’s Việt Kiều Business Club, along with Phan Trường Giang, Director of the branch, and Nguyễn Đình Lâm, Deputy General Director of Việt Hải Đăng Company.
The remaining 136 defendants, all Vietnamese nationals, were charged with ‘gambling’ under Article 321 of the Penal Code.
They include Hồ Đại Dũng, former Deputy Chairman of the People’s Committee of the old province of Phú Thọ; Ngô Ngọc Đức, former Party Secretary of the old province of Hòa Bình; Đỗ Anh Tuấn, former head of the Division for Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Management of the old province of Phú Thọ; Nguyễn Xuân Huệ, former deputy head of the Science-Education-Culture-Society Office of the People’s Committee Office of the old province of Phú Thọ; Nguyễn Thu Thủy, General Director of the Construct and Inspection for Construction Transportation and Design Consultant Joint Stock Company; Lê Thế Chiến, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Government Inspectorate Journal; singers and businesspeople Nguyễn Thế Vũ and Vũ Ngọc Hà; Hồ Đồng Tháp, Director of O2 Vietnam JSC; and Nguyễn Quốc Khánh, Director of Phoenix International Co. Ltd.
Under the indictment, on June 22, 2024 the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Security Agency caught 14 individuals red-handed gambling and organising gambling through prize-winning electronic games on the first floor of the Pullman Hanoi Hotel.
Investigators seized nearly VNĐ13 billion (US$494,000) in cash, more than $1.1 million and other foreign currencies.
King Club, located on the first floor of the Pullman Hanoi Hotel at 40 Cát Linh Street, was legally licensed to operate prize-winning electronic games for foreigners only, under Việt Hải Đăng Company.
However, taking advantage of regulatory loopholes and weak oversight under Government Decree No. 121/2021/NĐ-CP dated December 27, 2021, which governs prize-winning electronic games for foreigners, Kim In Sung, Director and legal representative of HS Development Vietnam Co. Ltd, after signing a management and operations contract with Việt Hải Đăng Company, instructed Cho Choon Keun, Choi Jin Bok and Shim Hawn Hee to collaborate with Giang and Lâm in organising illegal gambling at King Club.
To boost revenue, Kim In Sung proposed, and Lâm and Giang agreed, to allow Vietnamese nationals into King Club, even though regulations restrict play to foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.
To conceal the breach, the names of local players were disguised as foreign names printed on membership cards.
Between February 4 and June 22, 2024, the defendants allowed 145 Vietnamese nationals to gamble illegally at King Club.
Prosecutors identified Kim In Sung as the mastermind who directed all operations and took 100 per cent of the profits.
Cho Choon Keun, Choi Jin Bok and Shim Hawn Hee alternated shifts to help manage and supervise the club’s activities, handle finances and coordinate with Giang and Lâm in running the illegal gambling.
Investigators found that the 136 defendants charged with gambling wagered a total exceeding $106 million.
Kim In Sung allegedly pocketed more than $9.2 million in illicit profits from the players’ losses.
Kim In Sung had left Việt Nam.
Therefore, the Ministry of Public Security has issued an international wanted notice, suspended the criminal investigation against him and separated his case for further proceedings.
At the trial, 134 defendants were present.
Five others on bail, consisting of Dũng, Tuấn, Thủy, Vũ Tuấn Anh and Trần Thị Thu Thảo, requested to be tried in absentia.
The court panel accepted their request, noting that their absence would not affect the hearing.
The trial also included a Korean interpreter, more than 70 defence lawyers, 10 persons with related interests and obligations, 20 witnesses and representatives from Việt Hải Đăng Company and King Club.
According to statistics, of the 141 defendants, 41 are women and 100 are men.
The oldest is a 73-year-old woman from Hà Nội who gambled 80 times with a total stake of nearly VNĐ9 billion ($342,000). The youngest is a 23-year-old man who gambled three times with VNĐ170 million ($6,460).
The trial is expected to last two weeks.