Has Thailand struck jackpot in latest bid to combat lottery overpricing?

[webfact]

 

The government’s latest bid to combat chronic lottery overpricing saw over 5 million digital tickets sell out in just five days via the “Pao Tang” mobile application last week. 

 

The Government Lottery Office (GLO) adopted the online channel after all other measures to prevent black-market hiking of the official 80-baht ticket price failed.

 

Those who bought digital lottery tickets through the app voiced satisfaction that they could do it in a few easy steps, choosing their preferred numbers and even buying tickets with identical numbers at “only” 80 baht each — a price considered a bargain for regular lottery gamblers.

 

Sales via the Pao Tang app launched on June 2 for the lottery draw on June 16, with a total of 5.17 million tickets offered in the new e-marketplace provided by the GLO, according to Tipanan Sirichana, spokesperson for the government committee tasked with tackling lottery overpricing.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/has-thailand-struck-jackpot-in-latest-bid-to-combat-lottery-overpricing/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-11

 

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[lordblackader]

"to prevent black-market hiking of the official 80-baht ticket price failed."

 

What black-market hiking? nearly all the lottery sellers charge more. All they need to do is enforce the existing law but that would be logical and This is Thailand. 

[simon43]

I don't understand this black market overpricing.  If the ticket on sale in the street isn't priced at  80 baht, then you don't buy it!

[clarky cat]

1 hour ago, lordblackader said:

All they need to do is enforce the existing law but that would be logical and This is Thailand. 

easier to just make a website/app that sells them for 80 baht

 

difficult to enforce and bigger fish to fry

[new2here]

To me this is just a consequence of some percentage of physical ticket sellers not being able to stick to the legal pricing model.. essentially the GLO took away their ability to sell at B80 because some wouldn’t… the days of selling a paper or physical instrument in the form of a ticket - be that airline, movie or lottery, are distinctly limited… 

 

I ALSO think this trend won’t reverse.. the GLOs costs to produce paper tickets, to manage the physical distribution, security and accounting all add up… and I’d suspect are a fairly sizable cost as well… While the IT costs would rise, I suspect that the total costs will drop… and I just think that’s the trend.. customers want to be able to buy on their terms, when it’s convenient for them.. not when they can find a seller that they like. 

So, IMHO, physical ticket sellers are kind of a like a dinosaur- staring down the barrel of their eventual market extinction 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Those who bought digital lottery tickets through the app voiced satisfaction that they could do it in a few easy steps, choosing their preferred numbers and even buying tickets with identical numbers at “only” 80 baht each — a price considered a bargain for regular lottery gamblers.

Go digital 100%... cut out the gougers who've been fleecing the nation for years.

[rwill]

It seems that in my area the local tickets have gone up in price since they started on line sales.  I guess to make up for lost sales.

 

That said the underground lottery doesn't overcharge.  They will however reduce the payout for certain numbers or stop selling those numbers if too many people are buying them.  Much like sport gambling will adjust the odds payout if too many are betting a certain way.  Their goal is to spread the bets out evenly to make sure they make their margin.

[stereolab]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Go digital 100%... cut out the gougers who've been fleecing the nation for years.

Absolutely correct, everyone here has a mobile phone, on-line monies go straight into the account, immediately, zero losses, this is a win-win situation for everyone apart from the current distributors of physical numbers. Imagine paying extra online for a “lucky number”, the mind boggles.

[GroveHillWanderer]

I'm not finding anything that corresponds to this in the Google Play Store. I can see a "Paotang" app but unless I'm missing something, it's the online banking app for the Krung Thai Bank and wouldn't appear to involve lottery tickets.

 

Anyone know what the actual app is or how to find it?

[blackshadow]

8 hours ago, clarky cat said:

easier to just make a website/app that sells them for 80 baht

 

difficult to enforce and bigger fish to fry

the other day I saw the usual walkers selling tickets......just like a normal day.....

[NE1]

2 hours ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Anyone know what the actual app is or how to find it?

I'd be interested to know what it looks like.

[GroveHillWanderer]

I've been able to answer my own question. An article from "the source that may not be quoted" makes it clear that it is indeed the Krung Thai Bank app that is being used for online lottery ticket sales.

 

So I guess you can use the app even if you don't have a Krung Thai account? Otherwise it wouldn't make a lot of sense.

 

Although, TIT.

[NE1]

13 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Krung Thai Bank app that is being used for online lottery ticket sales.

I wonder why there isn't the option for buying online tickets off the Goverment Lottery Website ? Strange.

[The Hammer2021]

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Go digital 100%... cut out the gougers who've been fleecing the nation for years.

Nobody is gouging anybody. They are not selling cancer medicine!

They are just poor  people trying to make a living.

Nobody  has been 'fleecing the nation' LOL

That is overblown hyperbole and exaggeration.

I regard buying lottery  tickets as an act if charity supporting poor people.

BUT IF A WESTERNER CAN'T AFFORD 20 BAHT COMMISSION They should not be gambling! LOL

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Nobody is gouging anybody. They are not selling cancer medicine!

They are just poor  people trying to make a living.

Nobody  has been 'fleecing the nation' LOL

That is overblown hyperbole and exaggeration.

I regard buying lottery  tickets as an act if charity supporting poor people.

BUT IF A WESTERNER CAN'T AFFORD 20 BAHT COMMISSION They should not be gambling! LOL

Middle men are given an allocation of tickets which they then sell on for a mark-up.

This is why the street price is higher than 80 baht.

The poor street seller should be given the tickets direct from the government.

Why the need for sticky fingers in the middle?

[bristolgeoff]

From what I understand many thais sell tickets in every town.A little bit extra on top of the price for them and thais accept that as the person goes to them.My friend in cnx always brought from the same person and brought many,never won as far as I know.Having a app  and set price don,t know if everyone will be happy about that

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Go digital 100%... cut out the gougers who've been fleecing the nation for years.

I think that is harsh.... so many lottery ticket sellers are disabled, elderly, or very poor. 

I bet they are squeezed by middle men too......

 

 

[hotchilli]

6 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I think that is harsh.... so many lottery ticket sellers are disabled, elderly, or very poor. 

I bet they are squeezed by middle men too......

 

 

I'm not against the poor/disabled street sellers.

I'm against the middlemen who receive tickets from the government and then put their park-up on the price to the sellers.

Also against whoever sorts out the tickets ie "lucky numbers' or sets of same numbers and sells them at a premium.

[daveAustin]

Doesn’t matter what the price is; still a rip off. Lottery = tax on the poor and stupid lol. 

[mikebell]

16 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Go digital 100%... cut out the gougers who've been fleecing the nation for years.

How do you digitalise a police force?

[hotchilli]

10 minutes ago, mikebell said:

How do you digitalise a police force?

You don't. you cut them out .

[kimamey]

3 hours ago, mikebell said:

How do you digitalise a police force?

Grand Theft Auto?

 

More seriously how much time is spent on on traffic enforcement and how much on financing the police. I've only seen one food delivery rider without a helmet so maybe outsource to a Grab, Food panda ect joint venture. 

 

As for lottery tickets online sales would seem obvious but it will take some employment away from poorer people but will have less affect on the richer middlemen unfortunately. 

[new2here]

On 6/11/2022 at 7:35 PM, NE1 said:

I'd be interested to know what it looks like.

if you open the KTB app, then press the ( + ) button..: you’ll see a list of other KTB services open up, it’s there -  GLO.

 

add it from that menu then tap save.

 

It will appear on your home screen when you launch the app.