Online Lottery Decision Is Up To PM Abhisit

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Online lottery is up to PM: Kiat

By The Nation

Published on February 15, 2010

Online lottery is up to PM: Kiat

But study suggests going ahead with it would be better than aborting it

BANGKOK: -- A set of proposals released yesterday for overhauling the problem-plagued government lottery system did not include aborting the online lottery, as desired by the prime minister."

Going ahead with the online lottery project is rather a good way out of the problem. However, it rests solely with the prime minister, who makes the final decision," said Kiat Sitthi-amorn, president of the Thailand Trade Representative and chairman of the ad hoc government committee working out a new lottery policy.

Kiat cited a study that found that going ahead with the online lottery project was better than abolishing it.

"Calling off a concession with an operator that does not violate the contract means only that the government pays a huge amount of damages to it," he said.

The committee's report would be submitted to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva by Wednesday or Thursday, he said.

Under the proposal to sell government lottery tickets through vending machines, the total number of tickets allocated for each draw would remain at 50 million for the Government Lottery Office's original lottery and eight million for Red Cross Society and other charity lotteries.

"Selling GLO tickets through vending machines can be implemented without legal problems and would not encourage more people to bet on the GLO lottery, as no major conditions including the total numbers of lottery tickets and prizes would be changed," he said.

The committee will also propose scrapping the quota system long enjoyed by prime subagents - a major reason behind the price gouging of GLO lottery tickets.

A new lottery distribution system would shift the burden of risk for unsold tickets on the agents, instead of the GLO.

"It remains unknown to the public how many subagents and wholesalers are in the process along the way when the tickets are issued by the GLO to the buyers, and how much the price is raised from the beginning to the end," he said.

"This whole long-practised process has resulted in the prices of lottery tickets being inflated unfairly," he said.

The retail price of tickets is set at Bt80, but it can ramp up to Bt120, or even Bt130 or Bt150 for numbers in high demand.

-- The Nation 2010-02-15

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Don’t be naïve. It is all about money