HANOI, Vietnam _ Police in southern Vietnam have detained 18 people and seized hundreds of thousands of dollars (euros) after busting one of the country's largest soccer betting rings, police said Monday.

Raids were conducted on 13 houses in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday morning and around 7 billion dong (US$437,000) in betting money was found, said a city police officer on condition on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The ring, which had been operating since last year and had connections with betting companies in Hong Kong and Macau, offered bets on European soccer matches, he said.

Vietnam only allows betting on horse and dog racing in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern resort city of Vung Tau. Betting on soccer is illegal and carries a jail term of up to seven years.

However, Vietnam is mulling a plan that would allow legal betting on soccer matches, which officials say would help generate money for the sport and curb rampant illegal betting.

Soccer in Vietnam has been rocked by a series of recent match-fixing and betting scandals with scores of players, officials and referees arrested.