Yes, reporting an illegal betting ring after participating and losing a bet can be considered a mitigating circumstance for criminal responsibility, according to lawyer Pham Thanh Huu from the Bar Association of TP HCM. If an individual reports a football betting ring to the police and this helps authorities successfully solve the case, courts are likely to consider imposing a lower sentence than in cases where offenders do not report illegal betting activities.

This legal position is based on several provisions within the Penal Code. Clause 1, Article 51 outlines various mitigating circumstances for criminal responsibility, including: a person confessing, honestly declaring, or showing remorse; a person actively assisting authorities in detecting or investigating crimes; or a person performing meritorious acts to atone for their crime.

Furthermore, clause 1, Article 54 of the Penal Code grants courts the discretion to impose a sentence below the minimum level of the applicable penalty framework. This can occur if the offender has at least two mitigating circumstances as specified in clause 1, Article 51 of the Code, allowing the sentence to fall within the next lower penalty framework of the law.

Despite these legal provisions, many individuals who lose football bets choose to pay the winning party and do not report the illegal betting activity to the police. This decision is often made to conceal their unlawful actions from authorities, fearing self-incrimination.

However, it is crucial to understand that failing to report does not absolve guilt. If authorities later discover an illegal football betting ring and investigate their participation, these individuals will still face criminal prosecution for illegal gambling, as stipulated under Article 321 of the Penal Code.

The allure of major football tournaments, such as the World Cup 2026, often leads many individuals, driven by their passion for betting, into significant debt. Some resort to extreme measures, borrowing money from various sources or even selling assets like cars, land, or homes to cover their gambling losses.

It is also important to note that, under the law, individuals who lose football bets are not legally obligated to pay their losses to the winning party.