Vietnamese Lottery Companies Spend Millions Abroad on 'Experience Trips' with Little Tangible Outcome

Two state-owned lottery companies in Vietnam, Can Tho and Soc Trang, have spent over VND 2.6 billion (approximately $120,000) on overseas 'experience learning' trips that yielded minimal professional activity, according to the State Audit Office of Vietnam. This finding was detailed in a special audit report on the management and use of lottery revenues for the 2024-2025 period. In 2024, Soc Trang Lottery Company organized a 10-day trip to Europe for a delegation of seven people, including three company leaders and four leaders from departments and agencies under the Supervisory Board. The trip cost over VND 1.2 billion. The delegation visited France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, exceeding the initial provincial approval for only three countries. The State Audit Office noted that the company did not establish a learning plan, and payment documents lacked evidence of work outcomes. The post-trip report failed to specify concrete results regarding industry development models, strategies, or solutions for enhancing management and supervision capabilities. In the same year, Can Tho Lottery Company sent two delegations to Japan and Dubai, totaling 25 participants. This group included six members of the Supervisory Board, two company leaders, and 17 outstanding lottery agents. The total cost for both trips exceeded VND 1.4 billion. The planned itinerary for the Japan trip involved surveying and exchanging experiences with lottery companies and traditional ticket agents. The Dubai delegation was expected to survey retail systems, meet with partners, and learn about lottery sales processes and QR code payment systems. However, the Japan delegation did not engage in any work with lottery companies. The Dubai delegation only interacted with one lottery company. Both trips also incorporated visits to several tourist attractions. Following these surveys, Can Tho Lottery Company developed a new type of lottery product, the 'scratch card.' Nevertheless, the State Audit Office assessed that the itinerary and organization of these trips were not in line with the plans approved by the People's Committee of Can Tho City. The State Audit Office concluded that while the trips were conducted according to approved programs and plans, utilizing company funds, the content and organization in some instances were inappropriate and did not meet the objectives of improving management capacity and business efficiency. The auditing agency recommended that the People's Committee of Can Tho City direct Can Tho and Soc Trang Lottery Companies to cease organizing overseas exchange and experience-learning trips if they do not serve business production activities as required. By the end of 2025, the People's Committee of Can Tho City issued a plan to reorganize administrative agencies, public service units, and state-owned enterprises in the area. According to this plan, Can Tho, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang Lottery Companies will merge into a single entity in 2026, though the proposal is to maintain three lottery drawing days per week.