The lottery, with its promise of sudden wealth, fosters hope and optimism. It’s also a revenue generator for organizers, a source of entertainment for the public, and a potential economic stimulus. When winners, flush with their windfall, spend money at local businesses, they boost sales and create jobs. In addition, the anticipation of a win can shift consumer behavior as people plan how they’ll spend their potential fortune.

The game’s premise is simple: Players select numbers from a list of possible combinations. Each number corresponds to a prize, from one to six million baht. Matching all six digits in the correct order wins the grand prize, while matching five or more digits wins lesser prizes. Each ticket costs 80 baht and can be purchased in “ticket pairs.” The tickets are pre-printed, include anti-counterfeiting features, and display the schedule of prizes, ancillary information, and conditions. Two types of lottery tickets are sold: the TGL (Thai Government Lottery) and TCL (Thailand Charity Lottery). The only differences between the two are the first prize payouts and the amount of tax to be paid on winnings.

Lottery Online is Thailand’s official national lottery, with draws held every 1st and 16th of the month. It is one of only two forms of legal gambling in the Land of Smiles, and it’s played by nearly 19 million Thais – 28% of the nation’s population. The enduring image of a street vendor carting a wooden box full of lottery tickets strapped to his or her bicycle is part of the country’s cultural fabric, but the business has been declining since the military took power in May 2014. Traders are struggling to compete with internet vendors and the growing popularity of mobile phones for purchasing tickets.