I was shown this post by a friend in a Vietnamese Poker Group on Facebook name "Poker & Cuộc Sống" https://www.facebook.com/groups/pokervacuocsong (Poker & Life) .
The Facebook post is as follows:
"I came across this FB post which shared my sentiments regarding the 10% winning fee (or some would call it ‘government tax’ ) imposed by international poker tours when hosted in Vietnam. In the past, like many others, I believed this fee was a legitimate tax submitted to the government. However, I have since learned that this is not the case at all. This revelation has prompted me to reconsider my support for such events.
I've been asked if I plan to attend the upcoming USOP Danang event, and my answer is a resounding NO. I cannot in good conscience support a tour that misleads or misinforms its players. Without the support of players, both locally and internationally, successful events would not be possible. Therefore, upon reviewing the Player Guide and discovering that the organiser still intends to impose a 10% "government tax" on winnings at the Danang event, my decision to boycott the event was swift.
I stand in solidarity with the Vietnamese poker community in advocating for transparency. As of now, Vietnamese laws do not impose a tax on poker winnings. So, it is unjustifiable for organizers to charge players under the guise of a government tax. This behaviour is nothing short of a scam.
Considering that an international tour typically garners an average prize pool of USD 4-6 million, the 10% fee equates to an astounding USD 400,000-600,000 lining the organizers' pockets per event. While some of this may be allocated to ‘under-the-table’ expenses, it's unlikely to justify the full amount. International tours hosts events in Vietnam minimum 10 times throughout a year, raising questions about the extent to which players' funds are being siphoned under the pretense of a "government tax."
It's imperative foreign international players are aware and informed about this issue. As players, we have the right to transparency and full disclosure to make informed decisions about participating in events held on Vietnamese soil. Personally, I've resolved never to attend another poker tournament event in Vietnam as long as this 10% fee is charged.
If players unite and advocate together, we have the power to compel organizers to reconsider their stance on collecting additional fees from players under the false claim of a government tax. It's time for accountability and fairness in the poker community.
Ultimately, it's up to each player to weigh their options and decide whether the potential tournament ROI outweighs these 'fees', and whether they should participate accordingly."
USOP refers to U Series of Poker - https://useriespoker.com/
I have have read through their most recent players guide which mentions on Page 11 under TOURNAMENT RULES - Notes: "Prizes above VND 10,000,000 (~US$405) LESS the amount of player's buy-in(s) are subject to government tax of 10%" https://useriespoker.com/files/usop-...ayer-guide.pdf
I have also noticed another Vietnamese Poker League advertising on their recent marketing "No Winning Fee" which until I saw this post, I wasn't sure what this was referring to.
I have dozens of friends that travel to South East Asia to play in their series over that last 12 months, due to its close proximity to Australia. They have done very well and won several events, including High Rollers, so I hate to think how much "fake tax" or "winning fees" they have paid if this 10% Tax is confirmed not to be a Government Tax.
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