3.6 million people gamble on World Cup matches: survey

A large-scale survey has found 10 provinces with serious level of football gambling during the ongoing Football World Cup 2006, which is expected to attract more than Bt47billion in bets.

These provinces were Samut Sakhon, Chai Nat, Ayutthaya, Lampang, Sukhothai, Nan, Surat Thani, Chantaburi, Udon Thani and Trat. The survey said the situation in these provinces were so serious that it needed "warnings".

Conducted between June 14 and June 16, the survey covered 29,869 respondents in 75 provinces.

The Social Development and Human Security Ministry's Society Watch and National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) have jointly conducted the survey with aim to send warnings to the society with regards to the football gambling.

They released the survey findings at a seminar Thursday. The Football World Cup, which kicked off on June 9, will continue until July 9.

NIDA researcher Sangkom Khuntanakornsakun said it was estimated that up to 3.6million would gamble on football-match results in this football season.

"There are more male gamblers than the females," he said based on the percentage from the findings.

According to the survey, more than half of the gamblers place bets just for fun and some 32.84 per cent others do so as a gesture of support for their favourite team. Only 10.39 per cent of gamblers seriously aim to make money out of gambling.

The Nation