Exploring Vietnamese Animal Racing Games and Betting Traditions

Gambling in Vietnam is still somewhat of a taboo subject, with only a few forms of gambling games legal in the country. The casinos that are legally licensed and open for business in Vietnam are mostly intended for foreigners, and locals aren’t allowed to play there. This is not a completely unprecedented legal framework, or something unique to Vietnam. Locals in Monaco aren’t legally allowed to gamble at any of the Monégasque casinos either. Not even at the legendary Monte Carlo Casino.

In Vietnam, local people can play the lottery, and try out the few online casinos that are accepted in the country, or play at international online gaming platforms that are legally unregulated in Vietnam. The anti-gambling stance is quite strict, and this probably stems from the fact that gambling was a pivotal part of the traditional Vietnamese culture. Vietnam used to have many types of gambling ventures, involving playing cards, dice, boards, animal figurines and even outright animal races. A large number of the gambling games involved animal symbols or imagery, if not using real life animals in races to bet on.

Vietnamese Traditional Gambling Games

Historically, Vietnam has always had an innovative approach to gaming. They made puzzles and board games out of easily sourced tools or crafted accessories. For instance, Xoc Dia, one of the most renowned gambling games, used nothing more than a handful of coins, a bowl and a plate. Coins could be replaced for painted rocks, shells or seeds. If players didn’t have a bowl handy, they could swap it out for a cup or other container. Likewise, plates weren’t necessary if players could source a board, disc or other flat object to cover the bowl.

Then, there were games such as Chan, a Vietnamese card based game, or Bai Choi, a cultural bingo game. These required more specific equipment, but ones that could quite easily be crafted or made by hand. Playing cards, domino games, and tile based games probably reached Vietnam through China.

Traditional Animal Figurine Board Games

And then there were games that involved animals. Or specifically, animal racing. These could be animal figurines or animal-themed symbols, such as Bầu cua cá cọp (Bau cua ca cop), Ô ăn quan (O an quan), or Cờ rùa và thỏ (Co rua va tho).

Bau cua ca cop involved dice with animals painted onto the faces. The original version used a fish, prawn, crab, cockerel, calabash, and a tiger (or a stag). Players could make proposition bets on the dice throws, which used 3 dice, and if they landed any matching symbols they could win money. Similar to Chuck A Luck or Crown and Anchor.

O an quan was more like traditional African Mancala. Instead of a pure guessing game, players could use strategies and outwit their opponents to try to win.

And then Co rua va tho was a classic racing boardgame, in which animal figurines were used. These kinds of games were very popular in ancient cultures in Rome, Greece and Egypt. Egyptian Senet used a similar gameplay, and alternatives such as Jackal or Hounds and Mehen directly used animal iconography.

Animal Racing in Vietnam

Gambling wasn’t all about dice throwing, playing cards or tiles and board games. Vietnam also had a rich culture of betting on races, and not just horse racing. The diverse wildlife in Vietnam gave possibilities to make all kinds of animal races. Not just domesticated animals or animals used for husbandry. Horses, pigs, cows, and even animals like crabs or elephants could be put into races. These would be races between animals of the same species. Not a race between a pig and a crab.

And these animal races were far from a niche activity or fringe entertainment. The racing events were entwined in Vietnamese festivals, celebrations, and a community-building activity. Horse races were prominent in the Lào Cai Province, where the races would involve riders and local horses. Elephant racing was more of a tradition in the Central Highlands, and it was less competitive than horse racing. Đua bò Bảy Núi, or cow racing, was just as competitive as horse racing. Especially during the Khmer Dola festival, when locals would flock to bet on their favorite cows.

And then you had pig and crab racing, which were more about fun than serious gambling. That isn’t to say locals couldn’t enjoy betting on these races too, but it was more guesswork than a serious betting venture.

Culture of Betting in Vietnam

Gambling was never a means to make money in these contexts. Don’t think of it as the tourists hitting the Vegas Strip hoping to strike gold at a slot machine. No, this gambling was very much about community bonding. People would bet in groups, sharing triumphs and consoling in defeat. It was not a wildly exciting and entertaining venture. And not reserved for locals alone. Passing merchants or adventurers were also invited to have a go at betting on animal races or dabble in animal racing board games. Or try their luck at the likes of Xoc Dia or Bầu cua cá cọp.

The gambling could also have mystical or esoteric interpretations. For instance, good luck in gambling may have indicated that a certain union or individual was favored and good things were coming their way. Poor variance and losing results may have been read as a caution. We don’t really see tie gambling to fate or destiny nowadays, and there are few games in which chance and luck could play into any fortune telling. Tarot is one of the only mainstream fortune telling or card reading games still played today.

Vietnamese Online Betting Landscape

Vietnam finally legalized local games of chance in 2017, and eight casinos opened in the following years. But they are only available to foreign passport holders, and locals can only enter if they earn beyond a threshold of 10 million dong. And if the locals do enter, they are charged 1 million dong as an entry tax. Sports betting was legalized the following year.

So the legalized market does exist in Vietnam, but it is highly constrained for locals. Instead, a lot of gamers use internationally-based online casinos, that hold gambling licenses abroad. While not recognised by the state, they aren’t illegal to join and play at. The market for these international online casinos is massive, and estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Locals can find international online casinos that cater to Vietnamese players. These digital platforms have a huge array of Asian games to play, from the Chinese Sic Bo to live dealer Xoc Dia and many more. There are even online crypto casinos where Vietnamese players can gamble using BTC, ETH, LTC, and various other tokens. Whether they want to bet in Layer-1 tokens, stable coins, memecoins or altcoins, it doesn’t really matter. There are enough online crypto casinos to go around.

Animal Themes in Online Casino Games

Needless to say, there are no online casinos or sportsbooks that have betting on pig races or that use live crabs. Horse racing betting is popular all over the world, and Vietnamese bettors can find platforms that cover local races in Saigon or Hanoi. Expanding a little, these sportsbooks can also take bets on bigger Asian meetings, such as the Japanese Champions Cup, Hong Kong Sprint, and many more.

Those who are after games with animal symbols or icons will find even more options at online casinos. Animal themed slot machines are highly prevalent in Vietnam and the rest of the world. There are plenty of games that use traditional Vietnamese animals, or pick out settings in the American wildlife, Oceania, and more. Some Asian themed slots will also incorporate animals, most typically those from Chinese folklore, such as pandas, dragons, tigers, lions, frogs, and others.

At a base level, you are looking at games with animal symbols on an exotic nature backdrop. But if you want something a little more immersive and entertaining, there are video slot machines that come with animations, enhanced graphics and more dynamic gameplay elements. It’s therefore safe to say, there are enough animal themed games to satisfy all players.

Online Gambling Nowadays

Gambling has come a long way from the days of old when villagers would bet on pig racing or animal-themed dice throws. Just by contrast, you can now find slot machines with all kinds of animal animations and imagery, stake cryptocurrencies, and shoot for life-changing jackpots. It is not as much a social activity that unites families and communities. Our modern gambling is more profit-oriented, with players seeking to test luck and hit the big time.

This thrill seeking behaviour can lead to some pretty dire consequences. After all, there is no guarantee that you will win. When gambling, you should always set aside money that you can afford to lose. Play only with that money, and don’t be afraid to call it quits if you lose. Online casino games can be highly addictive. If you start chasing losses, you can fall down a slippery slope that leads to compulsive betting and addiction. So stay safe, play the games for fun, and take regular breaks during your gaming.