Lottery sales double in past decade

Centre for Gambling Studies director Nuannoi Trirat yesterday said more Thais are gambling on the lottery as ticket publishing rose from 36 million to 72 million per round in the past decade.

Citing a report on 2011-2015 casino market estimation, she said the Asia-Pacific region's casino market growth would rise by 9.2 per cent a year, and its world market share will rise from 29 per cent to 43 per cent to become the world leader.

Nuannoi urged for a crackdown on gambling and an anti-gambling campaign to be spearheaded by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

Chulalongkorn University law lecturer Nanthawat Borommanant said the Gambling Act of 1935 was no longer effective and urged for a new law to clearly define gambling crimes, cover new gambling methods, impose an age limit on punters and collect taxes from online gambling.