The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (ABEI) at its December regular press conference said it had imposed an administrative fine on VNG Corporation for providing six G1 games, which have content different from the approved scripts.

ABEI said VNG will also be deprived of the right to use the Decision on approving online game content and scripts No 03/QD-TCTT dated January 16, 2009 issued by ABEI for two months, for its violations of Clause 2 of Article 1.

Shortly after the decision on punishment was released, VNG publicized the suspension of the game for two months, officially implemented on 6pm December 11.

Since 2009, only two companies have been licensed to provide card games, with ZingPlay game portal of VNG, and VDC-Net2E with Ongame portal. However, as Ongame officially stopped its operation, VNG’s ZingPlay remains the only provider of licensed card games.

In 2010, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) found that many individuals and institutions exploited card games to organize gambling and decided to stop licensing card games. 

In 2014, MIC released Circular 24/TT-BTTTT giving detailed regulations on the management, supply and use of online electronic games. Article 29 of the circular stipulates that if the electronic games approved under inter-ministerial Circular 60/2006 are renamed and upgraded into new versions with changes and new content, game owners have to follow procedures for re-approval.

The question is whether VNG’s games have to follow that procedures. As the games have had content amended and upgraded, they need to get re-approval. However, re-approval has been impossible, because, since 2010, MIC has not licensed card games.

Clarifying the concept ‘card game’, MIC has recently submitted a statement to the Government, saying that recreational card games are online electronic games not used for rewards or prizes provided at casinos and games using playing card images.

MIC is now drafting a decree to replace Decree 72/2013 on managing, providing and using internet services and online information, and Decree 27/2018 that amends and supplements Decree 72. It has added the provision which says this kind of game will not be licensed.

Van Anh