Vietnamese regulators are advancing plans to reinforce the country’s domestic gaming sector amid rising concern over the dominance of foreign-produced games. Authorities have warned that overseas titles increasingly shape player behaviour, particularly among young users, while contributing limited cultural value to the local market.
As a result, regulators are calling for stronger support for locally developed games alongside tighter controls on offshore and illegal gaming activities.
Local Developers Hold Small Market Share
The issue came into focus during the 2025 year-end review and 2026 planning conference of the Authority of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information (ABTEI), held on 29 December and reported by VietNamNet.
According to Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, deputy director of ABTEI, Vietnamese-made games currently account for only about 12 per cent of the domestic market. She noted that young players face growing exposure to harmful or unregulated content distributed across borders. Therefore, she urged policymakers to expand local game development while embedding Vietnamese cultural and historical elements into new titles.
However, Huyen stressed that increasing production alone will not solve the problem unless regulators also address the risks associated with foreign-origin games.
Enforcement Against Illegal Games Steps Up
At the same time, ABTEI reported a sharp rise in enforcement activity throughout 2025. Regulators blocked or removed 1,081 illegal games during the year, marking a 40 per cent increase compared with 2024. In addition, authorities shut down 432 domains and websites linked to gambling or unlawful promotional activity.
Enforcement measures also included financial penalties in seven cases and the revocation of 40 gaming-related licences, including two G1 service licences. These figures highlight the ongoing challenge posed by unlicensed and cross-border gaming content in Vietnam.
New Monitoring Tools Aim to Improve Transparency
To strengthen oversight, ABTEI has introduced a new database system to manage licensed online games more effectively. Under the initiative, every approved game must display a distinctive logo that directs users to an official information page.
This system is designed to improve transparency for players while enabling regulators to track compliance and monitor licensed content across platforms more efficiently.
Long-Term Plans for Industry Growth
Looking ahead, officials also discussed broader strategies to support sustainable industry development. Nguyen Ngoc Hoi, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, revealed that the city is considering co-hosting an international game festival with ABTEI.
The proposal aligns with Vietnam’s national cultural industry strategy, which aims to generate VND 25trn (US$1bn) in domestic online gaming revenue by 2030. According to Hoi, collaborative platforms will play a key role in guiding industry growth and positioning gaming as a future national strength.
These discussions come as law enforcement continues to target illegal operations, including the recent dismantling of a forest-based gambling ring that used multiple evasion methods to avoid detection.
