The lottery is a popular form of gambling in Thailand, a source of revenue for organizers and an economic stimulus for winners who often inject their windfall back into the local economy. But the impact of a winning ticket extends beyond that: It’s also a form of social bonding, as lottery players come together to celebrate and share in the joy of a big win.
The Thai lotto takes place twice a month, on the 1st and 16th, and is played by more than 19 million Thais, or 28.6% of the country’s population. But this isn’t the only place to play a Thai lotto: online versions are available for those who can’t wait until the bi-monthly draw, and offer bigger prizes, better chances of winning, credit purchases and the convenience of placing your order for your preferred numbers at any time.
Traditionally, the Thai lottery has been paper-based material, with tickets sold through agents who receive them from retailers. But with the advent of electronic lotto agencies, a number of Thais who can’t wait until the bi-monthly drawing are taking their chance at online lotteries, both in Thailand and abroad for Thai expats who can’t beat their itch for the Thai lotto. But despite the perks of playing online, it’s important to be aware of some scammers who are out there to take your money and run.
If you’ve ever seen a street vendor carting around a brown wooden box full of lottery tickets strapped to their bicycle, you’ve probably noticed the people who sell these tickets have a hard time making ends meet. This hasn’t changed in the new age of digital marketing. Nevertheless, a few smart operators have adapted and made it their business to exploit the digital era by selling lotto tickets online.
In the past, there used to be two kinds of Thai lotto tickets: TGL and TCL. TGL tickets included a first prize bonus of B2 million and the possibility of winning a second prize bonus of B10 million. However, these bonuses seem to have been scrapped. What’s left is a standard first prize bonus of B2 million and a fifth prize of B100,000.
But even though these online lotto sites are making it easier to buy a Thai lotto ticket, they are still not doing much to stop people from purchasing their tickets in the physical media, especially when it comes to those who believe in “lucky numbers”. And these sellers can easily make up the difference by charging extra for the lottery tickets. This is why the Thai government has started regulating how these sites can sell their tickets. In addition to limiting the number of lottery agents, it has also mandated that all Thai lotto websites must be registered with the local authorities. This way, they can be audited to ensure that the website is following all lottery regulations and rules. This includes the requirement that lottery operators use a random number generator to pick the winning numbers.