Let people choose the lottery numbers: vendors
Economist Sangsit Piriyarangsan yesterday called on the government to heed demands of lottery vendors over a vital condition that the new two- and three-digit lotteries system must allow punters to select the numbers they want to buy.
He said 94 per cent of respondents in a TV instant poll said they wanted to select the own numbers. "The tickets with pre-designated numbers will sell only 10 to 20 per cent, and will earn the government only Bt600 million in sales each drawing - which is hardly worthwhile. "Vendors agreeing to sell the new lotteries can only survive for three or four lottery draws, then they will give up after making zero profits selling tickets with pre-designated numbers," he added. Sangsit, now chairman of the finance, banking and political institutes panel of the National Legislative Assembly, said he would be very disappointed if the government pushes ahead with its plan without heeding opinions and criticisms of vendors and lottery buyers. "The government will not solve any lottery-related problems faced by the country, it will only solve the problems facing itself," he said. "Open your ears, and listen to the people harder," he added. About 50 vendors yesterday gathered outside Government House to submit a petition to the prime minister, who declined to meet them. They later told journalists what was in the petition. It criticises a number of major conditions planned under the new lotteries system, including those stating that vendors cannot return unsold tickets to the Government Lottery Office (GLO), and says the 7 per cent commission is too low. The commission for the two- and three-digit lotteries initiated by the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government was higher and unsold tickets could be sold back to GLO.
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