Thai police arrest two over illegal online lottery operation

The arrests were made in Samut Prakarn.

Thailand.- Authorities in Samut Prakarn province have arrested two people suspected of leading an illegal online lottery operation. The arrests were made at a residence in the Bang Bo district following a probe into an online platform called Wealthy Home, which had been recruiting people to participate in its lottery operations via social media platforms such as Facebook. 

According to The Aiger, those arrested had run a commission-based incentive system. Police seized promotional materials for upcoming lottery draws scheduled for April 16 and May 2, 19,500 lottery tickets, 100 notebooks containing lottery entries, THB600,000 (US$16,000) in cash, four mobile phones and two laptops.

One woman reportedly confessed to overseeing an illicit lottery enterprise for more than a year. She admitted to printing and distributing 10,000 lottery tickets per draw through a network of agents across the country. Preliminary findings revealed transactions totalling THB13.4m (US$366,000) in bank accounts linked to the suspects, implicating approximately 200 agents in the distribution of lottery tickets.

Both suspects have been charged with organising and promoting illegal gambling and have been transferred to the Bang Phli police station.

The only legal forms of gambling in Thailand are horse racing in Bangkok and the government-sponsored Thai lottery. In March, the government launched digital lottery tickets through registered dealers. The government is studying the possibility of allowing large entertainment complexes with casinos.