Fears Of Post-World Cup Crime Wave

[Jai Dee]

Fears of post-World Cup crime wave

The many surprising upsets in World Cup 2006 have resulted in a larger number of Thai football bettors losing their bets, adding up to six billion baht in unpaid gambling debts. This has triggered concern over a potential increase in crime, KResearch has revealed.

The research unit of Kasikornbank yesterday made public a series of opinion surveys on gambling behavior during the tournament. The results came from interviews with 3,739 respondents nationwide in May and June, as well as a recent followup survey among 500 hard-core World Cup followers from the first survey.

The findings showed that 60.3 percent of those polled admitted to losing bets in the tournament with 21.4 percent saying that they would not pay the resultant debts. The value of their losses varied from two hundred baht to several hundred thousand.

According to the figures, KResearch estimates that debts totaling six billion baht, or 16.2 percent of all football bets, would not be paid.

The amount of the debt was higher than expected for two reasons. First, a number of World Cup matches ended with unexpected results. Also, the punters could place the bets without payment in advance.

In order to settle disputes with the debtors, most of the gamblers would ask the bookies to delay debt collection, while some bettors would pay the debt in installments, borrowing money from friends and pawning their assets. The former group is more likely to avoid debt repayment than the latter.

In terms of debt reclaiming methods, 80.6 percent said that the bookies would negotiate with them. On the other hand, the rest could face possible violent debt collection measures, with 11.9 percent having told KResearch that they were intimidated by the bookies. Meanwhile, 7.5 percent said that the bookmakers had seized their valuables.

KResearch has expressed concern over an increase in crimes when the tournament finishes. It said that the number of robberies, assaults and burglaries tended to rise because some gamblers would commit crimes to pay off debts. The number of asset-related crimes in 2002, when the last World Cup was held, increased 4.6 percent over the previous year, to 68,906 cases.

The report urged the police to keep a close eye on the bookies and debt collectors as they may intimidate or assault indebted gamblers, and to prevent desperate bettors from committing petty crimes. The situation is worsened by the fact that most of the indebted punters are students under 25.

Source: ThaiDay - 7 July 2006

[Scott]

I guess I'll have to keep an eye on my things--I live near a University.

[sbk]

I remember last world cup's crime wave. So many Thais bet on S Korea for 3rd and lost their shirts when it didn't happen. I recall one young man robbing an ATM (or was it a bank?) in order to pay his bookie.

More scared of the bookie than the law!

[Pink Mist]

always love your bookie