Thai Lotto, or national lotterie of Thailand, takes place twice monthly on the 1st and 16th. As one of only two legal forms of gambling available in Thailand, over 19 Million People, or 28.6% of population participate annually, making it Thailand’s most beloved form of gambling.
Thailand prohibits most forms of gambling, yet lottery is incredibly popular and generates about four billion baht in annual government revenues. Unfortunately, however, its immense popularity does not come without controversy; one major issue being ticket sales made mostly through street vendors who often overprice tickets and cause protests to ensue.
Another concern relating to ticket sales is the large portion going toward administrative costs rather than prize money, prompting local politicians to express concern. Furthermore, locals have accused the lottery of corruption given how much money is involved with running it.
Thai lotto is overseen by The Government Lottery Office (GLO), which regulates ticket distribution and prizes as well as setting rules and regulations for this game. Tickets are sold via 35,000 registered ticket vendors who must first obtain an official license from GLO, display an “open for business” sign at their location, as well as present photo ID documents to confirm their identity before selling tickets.
Players looking to win prizes must match six winning numbers consecutively in the correct sequence on their ticket in order to do so, with seven different prizes ranging from B10,000-B50,000 available. Winning numbers can also be printed directly onto tickets – special awards being available if players match groups of digits, such as matching the last three digits or two digits; though odds of winning the top prize remain very slim; it only requires matching 1 in 616 of these tickets!
Thai lotto tickets are purchased not just to win a prize but for superstitious reasons as well. Some purchase them based on their birthdays or birthstones while others follow lucky numbers that correspond to license plate registration numbers or personal data – in one instance from Ang Thong one man believed that having a tarantula in his garden could predict lottery draws results!
Thais frequently turn to shrines in search of divine guidance in selecting lottery numbers. Mae Nak, a ghost who died giving birth, often draws a small crowd seeking her assistance in making difficult decisions or increasing fertility; there’s even been talk that Mae Nak can predict lottery results!