Lottery vendors may in future have to apply for licences, says GLO spokesman

BANGKOK: Lottery vendors will have to apply for official permits same as motorists to have driving licences as another effort by the government to prevent overpricing.

This was revealed by Mr Thanawat Pholvichai, spokesman of the Government Lottery Office, after he led a team of inspectors to Siyaek Khokwua, Bangkok’s largest lottery market, to check on prices of lottery tickets if they were overpriced or not, and also to get feedback from lottery vendors on the 80-baht controlled price.

Mr Thanawat said in future vendors will have to apply for permits in order to prevent individuals impersonating as ticket sellers.

All vendors will be required to apply for permits or licenses to screen out fake or unregistered sellers, he said.

He revealed that there been many requests for the GLO to screen unregistered vendors.

These vendors take advantage of the system as they managed to get their hands on a batch of tickets but then sell them on to registered vendors for a profit, he said.

This further reduces profit margins for legitimate vendors, he said.

There have been many reports of this type of profiteering going on which the GLO will address immediately, he said.

Mr Thanawat also cmmented that the current quota of 60 million pairs of tickets was adequate and on every occasion all issued tickets were sold out within only a period of 30 minutes.

With regards to the current price of lottery tickets which are sold at 80 Baht per pair, he said there were some people who disagreed with the pricing while a majority of others are happy with it.

Most who complain are mostly vendors themselves saying that the margin for profit is small. The majority of the public however are the most receptive of the 80 Baht price saying that the price was fair, he said.

During the inspection, vendors complained that on a regular basis, as the day of lottery draw approaches, tickets with unpopular numbers that remain unsold are sold at discounted prices.

They said normally these tickets are sold at prices between 75 – 77 baht per pair but if prices fall below this, then most vendors will keep the tickets themselves and try their luck at the draws hoping to win some prizes.

Following the inspection tour, Mr Thanawat stated that in future these inspection tours will be a regular occurrence with an inspection planned every 3 months to ensure that the national lottery is fair and transparent.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/155844

-- Thai PBS 2016-03-19

Licences will have to be checked, sales pitches regulated and the rules "enforced".

A good little earner.

What is it with this current government and their hard on to regulate the lottery. Heaven forbid anyone has to pay more than 80 Baht for a ticket.

Sort the dangerous roads out!!!

Edited March 19, 201610 yr by rkidlad

If the retail price is enforced effectively at 80 baht, what difference does it make that there is reselling at the wholesale level? Doesn't this wholesale activity simply indicate a functioning market? Who will pay for a licensing system? Isn't this going to be a burden on ticket sellers who are already complaining of low margins?

Just another day, and another half-baked idea cooked up by an official.

If they spent half as much time and money as they do harassing lottery sellers on traffic problems, they could save 10-20,000 lives a year.

During the inspection, vendors complained that on a regular basis, as the day of lottery draw approaches, tickets with unpopular numbers that remain unsold are sold at discounted prices.

Please page me if you'd like to know the next lottery numbers. Only for the first 50 TVF members, 799 baht only.

Simple fix try changing system completely by going the way regular lotteries are run world wide you pick your own numbers and a live Tv draw is done weekly. Prise to bet determinded by amount of sales of tickets Jackpot could be progressive creating more interest and bigger payouts. You could even add scratch off tickets with instant winners sold through 7-11 's and family mart outlets. On the lotery tickets price could be reduced to 40 baht each and scratchers at 20 baht with proceeds going to King's favorite charities. With no more than 6% going to costs of running lottery and vendors cut.

Last week I saw a guy selling lottery tickets for 75 Baht..I've sometimes see tickets sold for 80, but never thought I'd see lesss than 80. Needless to say the guy had stacks of tickets and a big crowd of customers. Proves 2 things: You can make some profit wthout overpricing and people do care about saving money...even just 5 baht (stall next door at 80 Baht had 1 customer)

What is it with this current government and their hard on to regulate the lottery. Heaven forbid anyone has to pay more than 80 Baht for a ticket.

Sort the dangerous roads out!!!

Perhaps they have got the hump with the lottery because despite their impeccable qualifications as leading ("good") members of society they don't seem to win the jackpot

Yet all sorts of rural riff raff seem to do so.

Needs urgent reform says I.

Edited March 19, 201610 yr by JAG

100 Baht the price before was a rate at which the vendors could make a basic living...80 Baht is

just to low of a price...

If your so poor you can only afford a 80 Baht ticket you should not be buying lottery tickets....

Edited March 19, 201610 yr by fforest1

...and while you are here to apply, please register all unlicensed weapons in your household.

according to one 2011 study , the country has an estimated 10 million firearms in civilian hands

Great to see that the reform of the state lottery system is going ahead at full speed. No wonder they don't have time over for less important stuff like reform of the RTP!!

What is it with this current government and their hard on to regulate the lottery. Heaven forbid anyone has to pay more than 80 Baht for a ticket.

Sort the dangerous roads out!!!

The lottery and ticket prices is not the problem. But the junta can only tackle the lowest of the low hanging fruit. They are completely unable, no, powerless, to go after the real problems in this country.

If they really wanted to do something worthwhile, they would be sorting out the police and the entire legal system. But Prayut has specifically taken sorting out the police off the table. Does one have to wonder why?

Oh, sort out the police, and the roads, and so many other problems would then be taken care of automatically. But no, that is NOT the general's problem. He is NOT allowed to sort out one of the most pressing problems in Thailand. Instead he tries to look like he is actually doing something by 'reforming' the lottery.

The 'elites' and Prayut are well and truely f**king Thailand up the a$$. Too bad Thailand, you lose.

Considering this a government lottery. How many decades has it taken? Also remember every village has an under the table lottery!

Yes, the Nanny-state has arrived. Dress code for taxi drivers, licenses for lotto vendors. Next licenses for street vendors and business licenses and the commiserate taxes for small business owners. Taxes and regulation to follow! Goodbye Entrepreneurship. Goodbye Laissez Faire Capitalism on the street. Goodbye to the 'average citizen' being able to carve a living out of sheer will and tenacity.

Lottery, what a bore, Legalize gambling. Bangkok could be the next Macau. Pattaya, sunset strip Las Vegas.

Pleased to see the Junta is dealing with the BIG issues.

A Thai friend has just started selling tickets; he sells at B80 and says he makes B20/ticket ????