GLO board defers approval of 2-, 3-digit

The board rejected the proposal because of some outstanding legal issues, chairwoman Benja Luicharoen said after its meeting yesterday.
She said the GLO had to heed the suggestions by the National Anti-Corruption Commission on several issues, particularly on the creation of a fund to support the community and measures to prevent children and teenagers from buying lottery tickets.
“We are not ready to proceed. There are about 23 legal issues that we have to deal with, while only 500 automatic machines are ready for online trade, out of 6,000 being installed,” she said.
If the GLO could deal with all the issues of concern it might start this new type of lottery trade early next year, Benja said.
Disabled people who sell government lottery tickets protested yesterday at the GLO headquarters on Rajdamnoen Klang Road against the online-lottery plan. But Benja dismissed their objections and those of other ticket vendors, explaining that they would not be affected by the scheme. It covers only two- and three-digit lotteries, which currently are an underground trade.
The government wants to legalise this type of lottery.