Berjaya Corporation Bhd's (Bcorp) joint venture in Viet Nam – Berjaya Gia Thinh Investment Technology Joint Stock Company (Berjaya GTI) – launched its lottery operation here yesterday with its first game, Mega 6/45 Lotto Jackpot Game. — Photo duyendangvietnam.net.vn

BCorp hoped the jackpot game with a minimum VND12 billion (US$533,300) jackpot will excite a new generation of Vietnamese lottery players as well as create a more convenient lottery solution for existing players.

"Within the first month of operations, 800 point of sale terminals for Mega 6/45 tickets will be available throughout HCM City with some 10,000 point of sale terminals planned nationwide within the next five years," it said in a statement at the official launch of the lottery operations at the Independence Palace.

Bcorp chairman and CEO Datuk Seri Robin Tan said BCorp had established a partnership via a business cooperation contract with Viet Nam Computerised Lottery One Member Company Ltd (Vietlott) which was tasked with modernising the Vietnamese lottery industry.

"As a major player in the computerised lottery industry in Malaysia, we are delighted to be the exclusive partner of Vietlott to implement the first ever nationwide self-selected computerised lottery project in Viet Nam. This project also holds great significance for us, as it has strengthened the social and economic ties between our two countries," said Tan.

"The reliability and integrity of a computerised lottery system will also assist the Government in combating illegal lottery gaming operations," he added.

To recap, on January 20, 2016, BCorp and Berjaya Sports Toto Bhd (BToto) announced the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment had issued the Investment Registration Certificate to BCorp and Vietlott to certify an exclusive 18-year contract awarded to invest in and operate a nationwide computerised lottery in Viet Nam.

The $210.58 million project which is over 18 years is carried out by Berjaya GTI, a Vietnamese company which is 51 per cent owned by Berjaya Lottery Viet Nam Limited. BLV is 80 per cent owned by BCorp and 20 per cent owned by BToto. Vietlott is a 100 per cent State-owned enterprise under the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance and is the only enterprise permitted under Vietnamese law to conduct computerised lottery business in the entire territory of Viet Nam.

With more than 30 years of experience in the gaming industry via BToto, BCorp is well positioned to establish a strong presence in the Viet Nam gaming industry.

Other gaming-related companies under Berjaya Group include Sports Toto Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Natural Avenue Sdn Bhd in Malaysia, Berjaya Philippines Inc in the Philippines and International Lottery & Totalizator Systems Inc in the US which provides computerised wagering equipment, systems and related software to the online lottery and pari-mutuel racing industries worldwide. — The Star/ANN