The lottery is one of only two forms of legal gambling in Thailand and is played by more than 19 million people — a quarter of the country’s population. But while its grand aspirations fuel the public imagination and fuel a national love of risk, there are many who struggle with its financial and social costs. Nidhi says that while it’s true that a good percentage of lottery players are wealthy, most are not and that the lottery is often seen as a drain on poor communities. She points out that the money from lottery tickets is distributed in a complicated process that includes a mix of government and private funds and has been used as a political tool in the past.
The image of a street vendor carting around a brown wooden box full of lottery tickets strapped to his bicycle is iconic of Thai street life. Lottery tickets are a popular source of income for many people, especially those with disabilities who have been marginalized by a culture that doesn’t want to make accommodations, such as ramps or wider doors, to help them work. But the lottery isn’t an easy way to get rich and dreams of winning a big jackpot can be devastating when they don’t pan out. In March of 2015, a blind man committed suicide in Chiang Mai after selling his motorcycle to buy the lottery ticket that would have given him a new lease on life.
Bom’s elaborate strategy for selecting his lucky numbers is a window into the complex ways luck is sought and calculated in Thai culture. Often, lottery participants will draw on messages from the universe in their dreams or consult online gurus who post cryptic formulas and tips to help them win. They’ll also sift through newspaper articles for numbers relating to celebrity deaths, plane crashes and other negative events to find their lucky numbers.
Unlike the Western concept of the “lottery of life,” in which you pick the number that corresponds with a random event, the Thai lottery is based on a system of numbered balls that are drawn at the same time. There are a total of 10 digits, with each digit representing a different chance of winning the prize.
The lottery is regulated by the Government Lottery Office (GLO), which oversees the official lottery draw and awards prizes to winners. The lottery is not a public company and does not have to disclose its finances. The GLO reports that 60% of lottery proceeds are allocated to prize money, with the remaining 28% going toward state revenue. The lottery is a popular form of entertainment and has been a major contributor to the economy, bringing in about a fifth of the nation’s gross domestic product each year.