58 arrested, 391 betting websites blocked

[Lite Beer]

58 arrested, 391 betting websites blocked
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police arrested 58 people involved in illegal punting and bookmaking, and closed 391 foreign and local betting websites as the World Cup tournament kicked off early yesterday, a senior police commander said.

Of the suspects, seven are alleged bookmakers, 49 punters and another two are bet couriers, Pol Lt-General Anant Srihiran said. He is in charge of the police office assigned to tackle illegal soccer gambling during the global tournament.

Police also arrested three suspects against whom 10 calls had been made to the 1599 hotline.

Anant said the arrests of the 58 people had resulted in the seizure of Bt41,430 in cash and four bankbooks with deposits totalling Bt99,530.

As many as 391 betting websites have been blocked, he said, adding that police were monitoring and blocking all attempts to reopen the websites under new URLs.

-- The Nation 2014-06-14

[lemonjelly]

Always bewilders me that the lottery is not gambling............

[Chao Lao Beach]

Always bewilders me that the lottery is not gambling............

I find the way many Thais pick the lucky numbers entertaining.... and they still don't win.

Lottery is gaming, just Thailness.

[noitom]

Lottery is voluntary tax for the poor.

[tx22cb]

"Anant said the arrests of the 58 people had resulted in the seizure of Bt41,430 in cash and four bankbooks with deposits totalling Bt99,530", this is risible - an average of 700 Baht cash per person, and 25k per bank book, so these are hardly the syndicate bosses then.

[ezzra]

Always bewilders me that the lottery is not gambling............

Bewildered no longer, government lottery is controlled event, they get lots of revenues

out of it, some above board, some under board... with those freelance gambling they

get nothing out it and worse, it put the betting population in to hock and debt that the

government have to clean up and deal with later on....

[Chris Lawrence]

"Anant said the arrests of the 58 people had resulted in the seizure of Bt41,430 in cash and four bankbooks with deposits totalling Bt99,530", this is risible - an average of 700 Baht cash per person, and 25k per bank book, so these are hardly the syndicate bosses then.

So how much did it cost the Government to catch these illegal's?

[impulse]

Is there anywhere we can bet on how many will be arrested?

[bristolgeoff]

just like the horse racing in chiang mai,all legal and controlled by the army.if that no gambling what is then,every weekend so many thais go there

[JeremyBowskill]

When they say blocked, do they mean actually blocked or just that you have to turn on a simple VPN to get past it? Haven't actually tried as its of no interest to me but suspect a 10 year old with half a brain could get past it........

Edited June 14, 2014 by JeremyBowskill

[The stuttering parrot]

Well seeing there's all these reform going on why not legalise betting instead of driving it underground?

Governments all over the world are making plenty of revenue of the taxes .

Thailand is surround by countries with casinos so they are missing the boat on this one.

[JeremyBowskill]

Ok curiosity got the better of me, yes a 10 year old with half a brain could bypass it. Pointless exercise.

[NongKhaiKid]

just like the horse racing in chiang mai,all legal and controlled by the army.if that no gambling what is then,every weekend so many thais go there

Udon Thani has an identical arrangement and possibly other provinces too.

[superal]

Well seeing there's all these reform going on why not legalise betting instead of driving it underground?

Governments all over the world are making plenty of revenue of the taxes .

Thailand is surround by countries with casinos so they are missing the boat on this one.

100% in total agreement . Like it or like it not gambling is world wide and like prostitution has been with us for thousands of years in one form or another . Many western countries now prefer to have gambling , prostitution and drugs out in the open where they can be regulated and benefit from huge revenues from taxes.

It is truly a pity that the powers here could not gain from the experiences and progressions of the " modern world "

[madmitch]

The site I occasionally use is still accessible, which is surprising as it's one of the UK's biggest, but I have the VPN option in case things change and I have the urge to reinvest the thousands I won for 5-1 Holland v Spain (I wish!)

[Rockhound]

Only idiots gamble.

[55Jay]

BIB has demonstrated adept crime busting skills. It's as if they know right where to look.

[Lite Beer]

World Cup kicks off amid concern of rising bet among Thai youths

BANGKOK: -- The 2014 World Cup officially kicked off Friday but what worries authorities however, is the increase in betting on matches during the season among youths. More than 60 arrests have been made on charge of illegal gambling.

The Center for Prevention and Suppression of Football Gambling, revealed that for the period from June 9 to 12 the police have made 58 arrests for football related gambling.

Of these, seven were gambling hosts, 49 participants or persons placing bets and two bookies.

One hundred and fifty thousand Baht worth of assets were seized comprised of 41,430 Baht in cash, a large amount of betting tickets worth at an estimated 100,000 Baht and 100,000 Baht deposited in bank accounts.

Furthermore, they have blocked off 391 websites involved in football betting which are mostly located within Bangkok metropolitan area.

All departments involved in the operations have been cautioned that severe disciplinary action will result for any unexplainable shortfall in reported cases.

Police General Aek Angsananont, the deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, has revealed that the Royal Thai Police along with the cooperation of the Information and Communication Technology Ministry (ICT)
, has been closely tracking online betting operations and will be opening a 1599 Hotline for the public to report any leads.

What has authorities worried most however, is the incremental rise in football betting among youths.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has voiced similar concerns stating that there was a marked increase in the number of young people taking part in football betting.

AMLO has disclosed that football betting among youths has spread more and more from university students down to teenagers at the secondary school level.

Police Colonel Sihanart Prayoonrat, the secretary-general of AMLO, stated that close cooperation between AMLO and the ICT to suppress football betting websites will be critical following the discovery that the services of many commercial banks have been used for transfers of cash bets.

Letters to commercial banks to terminate relations with these websites have been delivered and the cooperation of 104 financial institutions and 36 other banks have been made.

Also, permission to investigate the accounts of eight electronic debit card providers and 10 credit card providers not related to financial institutions have been received.

Last but not least, 50 electronic bill payment service providers have been asked to report any suspicious payments to authorities, he added.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/world-cup-kicks-amid-concern-rising-bet-among-thai-youths/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=world-cup-kicks-amid-concern-rising-bet-among-thai-youths

-- Thai PBS 2014-06-14

[bartender100]

Learn how to do "no risk gambling" it works, I do it every day by matched betting

[Chris Lawrence]

Only idiots gamble.

Thats what Mr Packer thinks too; but he is taking their money at the casino.

[VINCENT2012]

thais bet with everything , they go to cambodgian border to the casino, bet with chicken fighting , thai boxing, pool games, futball anything where they can get a few box without working........this military government will not get rid of bets who are made mouth to mouth.... to me it is better to allow the gambling, get controll on it and get the correspondant taxes.

[belg]

same same as (soft) drugs? make it legal, collect tax on it, distribute to whatever you want (poor, farmers, ...)

if thai people cannot gamble because of buddism, then why all the ripp-offs, stabbings, shootings, murders, rapes, child abductions, prostitutions, corruption ???

[LuckyLew]

well done, huge dent with sum large sums seized, especially since the amount bet will be in the billions for the WC

[Jim walker]

Arresting 49 punters what’s the odds of that happening in any democratic free country.

[vogie]

Only idiots gamble.

And on that bombshell

[surangw]

Always bewilders me that the lottery is not gambling............

its always legal with the government gets a cut.

its the tax free betting they come down on.

[UbonRatch]

same same as (soft) drugs? make it legal, collect tax on it, distribute to whatever you want (poor, farmers, ...)

if thai people cannot gamble because of buddism, then why all the ripp-offs, stabbings, shootings, murders, rapes, child abductions, prostitutions, corruption ???

Thanks for the deep, philosophical bounty of offering.

[UbonRatch]

The site I occasionally use is still accessible, which is surprising as it's one of the UK's biggest, but I have the VPN option in case things change and I have the urge to reinvest the thousands I won for 5-1 Holland v Spain (I wish!)

Ladbrokes aint gonna humour you, cos you are Thai scum on their betting odds IP address, VPN or no VPN.. 50/50..

[savithai]

These fools didn't know only government is allowed to "gambling"?

[BillyBobThai]

Lottery is voluntary tax for the poor.

Lottery is voluntary tax for the poor / stupid.