The image of a street vendor carting around a brown wooden box full of lotto tickets strapped to a bicycle is a familiar sight in Thailand, where the lottery is one of the country’s most popular forms of gambling. But this booming industry comes at a cost, with many vendors struggling to make ends meet. And when Thailand’s military government took power in May 2014, lottery reform was high on its agenda.
The Thai Lottery is played twice a month and boasts more prize money than any other form of legal gambling in the country. It draws 19 million people – over 28.6% of the nation’s population – and is among the most popular games in the country, along with horse racing. But it’s not for the faint of heart; winning a prize is a long and difficult journey, not to mention expensive.
Winning a lottery requires presenting the ticket to a lottery agent, filling out a claim form, and waiting in line at the designated prize center. In order to avoid fraudulent transactions, lottery agents are required to validate each ticket by stamping it with an official seal. The process can take up to 20 minutes, and a winner’s prize must be claimed within 30 days of the draw date. In addition, winners are required to pay 0.5% stamp duty on government lottery winnings and 1% on charity lottery winnings.
While some Thais use the results of past draws to choose their numbers, others are more creative with their selections. They may visit a ghost shrine, draw on their dreams, or look for signs of good fortune in everyday events. And regardless of how they choose their numbers, they all share the same dream – to win big!
Hanoi Lottery