"If the government disapproves of the underground lottery, it should not opt for the relaunch," Poldej said yesterday.

He was speaking at a seminar on "Return of the government's two- and three-digit lotteries?" organised by the National Health Foundation (NHF).

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont gave the go-ahead for the restart of the two- and three-digit lotteries, which had been suspended about seven months ago over legal concerns.

The lotteries were launched by the previous Thaksin Shinawatra administration to counter the underground lottery.

However, Poldej said yesterday it was not clear whether the state lotteries could really wipe out the huge underground lottery.

Deputy Education Minister Varakorn Samkoses also spoke out against the lotteries, saying that their availability would encourage people to gamble on lottery results.

If the government really wanted to relaunch the lotteries, it should consider reducing the number of draws and integrating a savings concept into their operation, Varakorn said.

"Do it the way the Government Savings Bank has done," he said.

The bank holds a monthly lottery but people have the chance to win without losing the money they pay for the tickets. After some years, they can get back all the money paid for tickets plus interest - at a rate slightly lower than the general deposit rate. NHF secretary-general Somsak Chunharas said the government should come up with proper controls to reduce adverse impacts from its two- and three-digit lotteries.

Poranee Leenutaphong, who heads the National Economic and Social Advisory Council's working panel on the service-sector economy, said the council felt the government should abandon the two- and three-digit lotteries immediately.

"If immediate action is not possible, the government should develop a plan to gradually put an end to such lotteries," she said.

In response to criticism of the two- and three-digit lotteries, National Legislative Assembly member Dr Saowanee Thairungroj explained that they were, at least, not as bad as the underground lottery.

"Poor people buy underground lotteries on credit and they end up incurring debts. The government's two- and three-digit lotteries are different because cash purchases are required," she said.

Saowanee admitted that she also wanted the government to hold fewer draws and try to discourage the habit of people buying lottery tickets.