The sale of government lottery tickets at inflated prices has been a long-standing issue. The Lottery Office is preparing to conduct public consultations on new online lottery formats for citizens to choose from, with 4 options aimed at resolving the problem of overpriced tickets.

According to TMB, in 2018, 1 in 4 Thais, or about 20 million people, bought lottery tickets and gambling tickets totaling 250 billion baht per year, which is three times the value of investments in LTF and RMF funds, equivalent to the high-speed rail project connecting three airports. Over 9 million Thais are considered addicted to gambling, with 7.6 million enjoying it and 1.3 million being addicted, indicating that Thais still hold hope for luck through lotteries.

The 'Government Lottery Office' has continuously grown every year, and in 2019, it was the state enterprise with the highest revenue contribution to the government, amounting to over 41 billion baht. Additionally, it has issued charitable lottery tickets to over 16 agencies, valued at around 8 billion baht, and has allocated 3-4% of its revenue to support and improve society, particularly in education and public health.

Recently, the Lottery Office is ready for its first rebranding in 80 years to modernize and change its image in preparation for fully entering the online market, now referred to as “GLO”.

 

        Mr. Thanawat Pholwichai, a member and spokesperson of the Government Lottery Office, as the chairman of the corporate communication committee, stated that the rebranding of the Lottery Office after 80 years must align with modern times, focusing on new communication methods to make both buyers and sellers proud to contribute to society. Currently, there is a consideration of 4 types of online lottery tickets as options, including 12 Zodiac lottery, 3-digit online lottery, lotto tickets, and the original 6-digit lottery tickets, using the same sales channels while adding online platforms to address the issue of overpriced tickets at 80 baht. This is currently under thorough study to avoid future problems.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to wait for the situation to improve before starting public consultations this year. After that, the process of pushing for online lottery tickets will go through three steps: drafting a ministerial announcement, gathering feedback, and then presenting it to the Cabinet for further consideration.

 

Source: Government Lottery Office