Loxley Asks Lawyers To Study Government Plan To Scrap Online Lottery Project

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Loxley asks lawyers to study government plan to scrap online lottery project

BANGKOK, Dec 3 (TNA) -- Loxley GTECH Technology, a subsidiary of Loxley Public Company Limited, assigned by the ousted government of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to install electronic lottery vending machines in Thailand, is asking its lawyers to see if it can sue the Abhisit government as plans to scrap the long-delayed project.

Trichakr Tansuphasiri, President and Chief Executive Officer, Loxley GTECH Technology Company Limited, said he did not know the details of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva desire to terminate the project.

Mr Trichakr said his company would "let society decide" whether it is necessary to have an online lottery. The company has not yet decided to sue the government to demand compensation as its lawyers must first study the implications.

Loxley GTECH Technology Company Limited was set up as a joint venture between Loxley Public Company Limited and GTECH Corporation of the US, one of the leading reputable companies with expertise on lottery tickets system.

The Government Lottery Office (GLO) board contracted with Loxley GTECH Technology in 2005 to install ticket vending machines with sales scheduled to begin in 2006, but the scheme was put on hold due to legal problems and strong opposition.

Initiated by the Thaksin administration to tackle the problem of overpricing tickets and illegal underground betting, that government was ousted in the September 2006 coup d'etat before the lottery could be initiated.

Lottery Office director Wanchai Surakul said that Mr Abhisit's decision to cancel the project will be discussed at a lottery board meeting on January 13. He said any contractual amendments must be made within 90 days, beginning December 4.

Lottery Dealers Association chairman Thawatchai Sathitwittaya said he was surprised that the prime minister objected to the project.

He said most people wanted the government to implement the system in order to solve the ongoing problem of overcharging for official lottery tickets by vendors. He urged Mr Abhisit to review the government decision and said that the association would discuss the issue later this month. (TNA)

-- TNA 2010-01-03

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Gambling on lottery ban

By The Nation

Published on January 4, 2010

PM against online vending system; panel to study way out

The government was heavily criticised yesterday for its decision to consider scrapping the electronic online lottery - and concessionaire Loxley is studying a "legal position" over any decision.

"It is not yet final or certain the online lottery project will be abolished," said Treejak Tansupasiri, CEO of Loxley GTech Technology. "We will only wait and see. But whatever will be, will be. Society will make its decision on whether it will need an online lottery," he said.

"As the vendor who has invested in this project [we cannot say] if a lawsuit will be lodged against the government if it decides to abolish the project, but Loxley's legal division is studying legal options over the issue," Treejak said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday he would set up a panel to study options so that the government could annul the electronic lottery vending project.

The working panel would be headed by the chairman of the Thai Trade Representative, Kiart Sithiamorn, to study legal aspects and negotiate with the contractor . The study and negotiations would be completed within 30 days after the panel was set up, he said.

Abhisit said the law did not permit an online lottery project, but the government remained bound by the contract. So the Kiart panel would work to find out the best alternative for the government.

Personally, he believed the project would have many drawbacks and he would like to cancel it.

Government Lottery Office director Wanchai Surakul declined to comment over the matter, saying a GLO meeting on January 13 would discuss the issue and work out subsequent measures. "We still have time to deal with the matter, for it to be solved within 90 days after the GLO board decided on December 4 to go ahead."

Prime Minister Abhisit expressed concern the online lottery project would have had "negative social impacts and he would want to avoid carrying out the project if he could."

Asked to define setbacks of the lottery project online, he said illegal gambling was now spreading widely and preventing Thai youth from getting involved with it was difficult. He also cited research which said allowing online lottery operations would not tackle problems regarding the underground lottery.

Asked about the longstanding sales of lottery tickets at inflated prices with buyers' consent, Abhisit said the problem was being dealt with. "The options are that buyers don't buy potential or popular numbers - or draw dates are not fixed," he said.

Loxley has invested billions of baht in the project, which is known widely as online lottery. Under this project, punters could buy tickets at whatever numbers of their choice through vending machines with an online realtime database. They could keep receipts as evidence in case they won prizes in each draw.

Thawatchai Sathitwitthaya, chairman of Ticket Lottery Vendors' Association, said he was shocked by Abhisit's decision to possibly abolish the online lottery project. He said Abhisit should have brought up the issue three or six months ago, not in a few months before the first online lottery operation was due in March. His group would take action after a meeting this month.

Worrawut Kamolwitthayanont, chairman of an umbrella group of vendors of the nowdefunct two and threedigit lottery operation, said a large number of his group had threatened to join an antigovernment rally planned by the red shirts in February if the online lottery project was scrapped.

The opposition Pheu Thai Party criticised Abhisit's move, saying his Democrat Party wanted to erase memories among people at grassroots level fond of the two and threedigit lottery operation initiated by former prime minister and archrival Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pheu Thai MP Surapong Towijakchaikul, chairman of the House committee on finance and banking, said the abolishing of the online lottery operation would please operators of illicit underground lotteries which despised Thaksin and the Pheu Thai Party for inventing the two and threedigit lottery operation. The prices of lottery tickets would continue to be inflated, while funding would be lost for education of poor children mobilised through the sales of the two and threedigit lottery operation.

In addition, the government would be up for huge compensation and a fine demanded by Loxley if it scrapped the project and lost a subsequent lawsuit.

Ood Khiewthong, chairman of the Blind People's Association in Chiang Mai, hailed Abhisit for his decision, saying that blind lottery vendors would lose their living because punters would buy lotteries from vending machines rather from them, unless Abhisit could finally put off or scrap the online lottery project.

-- The Nation 2010-01-04

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Online Lotto Concessionaire Threatens to Sue Govt

UPDATE : 4 January 2010

Loxley GTech Technology has called an emergency meeting this morning to review the possibility the launch of the much-talked-about online lottery being postponed once again. They are threatening to sue the government if the online lottery program isn't launched on schedule as promised by the government.

-- Tan Network 2010-01-04

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[Bottlerocket]

Ood Khiewthong, chairman of the Blind People's Association in Chiang Mai, hailed Abhisit for his decision, saying that blind lottery vendors would lose their living because punters would buy lotteries from vending machines rather from them, unless Abhisit could finally put off or scrap the online lottery project.

http://www.calottery.com/support/lotteryfunds/

The lottery in California, which is similar to what Loxley is trying to set up, largely funds K-12 education. If Ood could see past the tip of his nose, he would surely back the Loxley plan and get in line with other social institutions to acquire a bit of the funds for their own purposes. The fact is that the heads of the black lottery are very high up and certainly don't want their cash cow taken away much less regulated. That's why this government is a sham. They aren't trying to change anything for the better. They are trying to maintain the corrupt systems already present.

[Heng]

The underground lottery prevails.

[RegularReader]

The underground lottery prevails.

...and also, who owns/owned Loxley ?

[Thai at Heart]

The astonishing cynicism of the situation in Thailand.

The government would rather maintain an illegal lottery rather than legalise an electronic one because it will have deleterious effects on society. Please elucidate oh mighty moral meister.

I often wonder if Abhisit's lips move when he speaks, because despite all the Shinawatra connections with the Loxley bunch, getting rid of a new lottery because of "moral" issues has to be the weakest excuse yet.

[Heng]

The underground lottery prevails.

...and also, who owns/owned Loxley ?

A few hundred thousand shareholders?

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UPDATE

PM: Concessionaire will be Compensated if Gov't Axes Online Lottery

UPDATE : 4 January 2010

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva confirmed that the concessionaire which invested in the online lottery will be compensated if the government decides to axe the project. He went on to reveal that a replacement for the Public Health Ministry will be selected on Jan 6. The first Cabinet reshuffle will be a small one.

-- Tan Network 2010-01-04

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Loxley to sue for Bt3 billion compensation if government axes online lottery project

BANGKOK, Jan 4 (TNA) - Loxley Gtech Technology (LGT), a subsidiary of Loxley, assigned by the ousted government of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to install electronic lottery vending machines in Thailand, threatened to sue for Bt3 billion if the Abhisit government scraps the long-delayed online lottery project.

Trichakr Tansuphasiri, LGT’s president and chief executive officer, said he is waiting for a clear stance of the government on the online lottery project but the company will go ahead with the plan under the order of the Government Lottery Office (GLO) on December 4, 2009 assign the LGT to prepare the lottery system within 90 days, by about March this year.

Under the deal with government agency, Loxley would be responsible for setting up the system and providing equipment, technology and services for a national online lottery in Thailand. Loxley would received a 75 satang fee per lottery ticket while the GLO would own the electronic lottery, he said.

LGT did not receive the concession from the government and the GLO-LGT contract did not come under the Public-Private Joint Venture Act, he said, but the Office of the Council of State of Thailand had approved carrying out the online lottery under the contract.

Mr Trichakr said the Loxley contract initially was for five years beginning in mid-2005 and could be extended on one a year basis for three times. He said LGT was set up as a joint venture between Loxley Public Company Limited and Gtech Corporation of the US, a leading and reputable company with expertise on the lottery tickets system in which Gtech is a 49 per cent equity partner.

It would be unacceptable for the foreign investor if the government could not honour the contract that had been signed, he said, saying that legal action should be considered an option.

Mr Trichakr said the LGT had invested in the system for Bt2 billion and could consider for Bt3 billion for compensation if the government to scrap the plan.

He added that some 5,000 online vending machines are to be installed for the system.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday that a panel headed by Kiat Sittheeamorn, president of the Thailand Trade Representatives, would study laws and contracts made with LGT to determine how to end the electronic lottery project.

The prime minister said the project would have negative impact on the society, especially on youth. (TNA)

-- TNA 2010-01-04

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[RegularReader]

The underground lottery prevails.

...and also, who owns/owned Loxley ?

A few hundred thousand shareholders?

Think you missed my "inference" - perhaps I should have said ...."who is, or has been, a major shareholder" ?

Thai At Heart knew the answer...and his cynicism could be well placed too.

This plays well with the Chamlong section of the PAD and also provides another excuse to show the duplicity, of Thaksin in power.

If you think a bit more, you could draw the conclusion, noting much changes in the "tricks" department - no matter who is in power.

[sofa]

Ood Khiewthong, chairman of the Blind People's Association in Chiang Mai, hailed Abhisit for his decision

If Ood could see past the tip of his nose

Fortunately it's quite rare that the blind are so heartlessly disparaged.

[Nuchanart]

The underground lottery prevails.

...and also, who owns/owned Loxley ?

Korn family owns Loxley. Just google Korn anf Loxley, and you will see.

[Thai at Heart]

The underground lottery prevails.

...and also, who owns/owned Loxley ?

Korn family owns Loxley. Just google Korn anf Loxley, and you will see.

Huh?

Maybe in his RTF.

Page 58........

http://www.econ.tu.ac.th/doc/seminar/117/s...ul9_dusadee.pdf

http://wapedia.mobi/en/Thailand_legislative_election,_2001

No 3 TRT Guy

They are all at it........

Edited January 5, 2010 by Thai at Heart

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UPDATE

Loxley Gtech will accept govt's decision over online lottery project

Loxley GTech Technology Plc's CEO Trichak Tansuphasiri said in a statement that the company is ready to cooperate with the government in whatever means for maximum benefits to society, but urged the government to thoroughly consider the issue before deciding to scrap the project.

He asserted that when it comes to compensation negotiation, it should be fairly undertaken. He added that there are several parties to be affected by the project abolition, like tens of thousand dealers and lottery vendors who have registered with the Government Lottery Office.

-- The Nation 2010-01-07

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