Is Computer Lottery Lotto? How to Open a Lottery Agency

What is computer lottery?

Computer lottery (computer-selected number lottery, e.g. products of Vietnam Computer Lottery Company – Vietlott) is a type of lottery organized under lottery business law: Decree 30/2007/ND-CP (as amended and supplemented by Decree 78/2012/ND-CP and Decree 151/2018/ND-CP) and Circular 36/2019/TT-BTC guiding computer-selected number lottery business.

The distinctive feature of this type is that participants choose the digits themselves to participate (according to the method and play rules issued by the lottery business enterprise), instead of buying pre-printed tickets with fixed numbers.

How to open a lottery agency?

Under Article 15 of Circular 36/2019/TT-BTC (replacing former provisions on lottery agents), a computer-selected number lottery agent is an organization or individual that signs a contract with the computer lottery company to sell tickets and pay prizes to winning customers. To become a computer lottery agent, you must meet the conditions and standards prescribed in Clause 2, Article 12 of Decree 30/2007/ND-CP (as amended by Clause 1, Article 4 of Decree 151/2018/ND-CP and supplemented by Clause 6, Article 1 of Decree 78/2012/ND-CP), specifically:

– Being a Vietnamese citizen permanently residing in Vietnam; if an organization, it must be an economic organization established and operating lawfully in Vietnam;
– Having a payment guarantee form to secure payment obligations to the lottery business enterprise;
– Officers and employees working at the lottery business enterprise and relatives of the lottery business enterprise’s managers (spouse, parents, children, full siblings and equivalents) may not act as lottery agents.

Computer-selected number lottery agents may sign contracts with organizations and individuals to sell computer lottery tickets by selling at the correct price and earning remuneration from agent commissions; such organizations and individuals are also deemed to perform agency activities for computer-selected number lottery.

Must a lottery agent sign a contract?

Yes. Computer lottery agency activities are carried out on the basis of an agency contract signed between the agent and the computer lottery company under Circular 36/2019/TT-BTC. The contract must fully show the prescribed contents, including ticket sale methods, agent commissions, payment obligations, prize payment obligations to winning customers and payment guarantee measures.

Agents are responsible for notifying the computer lottery company of the list of organizations and individuals signing contracts to sell computer lottery tickets for tax administration purposes.