The Thai Government Lottery Office (GLO) has received encouragement over its plan to launch two new digital lotteries in the country.
As reported by the Bangkok Post, the Thai GLO has proposed a new three-digit lottery called N3, and a new six-digit lottery named L6.
These have been put forward to try and combat illegal lotteries in Thailand and to help tackle the issue of overpriced tickets.
In order to gain support for these new lotteries, public hearings were conducted online, by mail and in person, though the Thai GLO has not disclosed how many people participated in the survey.
According to Chankrit Detwithak, a Thai GLO official, those involved in the hearings have said that the new lotteries would generate more revenue which the government could use to resolve poverty and other social problems, including illegal gambling.
He added that most participants have suggested 50 baht as the ticket price for the three-digit lottery, and 80 baht for the six-digit lottery.
They also thought that the new lotteries should be made available in both digital and paper formats, as some buyers, such as elderly people, might not be familiar with online purchasing, and others may not be able to afford a smartphone.
The hearings were also told that age and spending limits should be imposed to limit access to the new lotteries, while ensuring the tickets don’t encourage people to gamble more than they should.
Those who disagreed with the new plan, meanwhile, did not believe new products would lead to any reduction in either overpriced tickets or illegal lotteries.
They urged the government to set up a new fund to help those who may encounter problems related to buying lottery tickets.
Findings from the hearings will now be forwarded to the cabinet.
