Thai Deputy Prime Minister calls for legalization of online football betting

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin has called for the legalization of online football betting. He recently told reporters about this before a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The comment was made as part of a discussion about the arrest of eight police officers involved in organizing an online sports betting network. The raids were carried out last Monday by the police cybercrime unit. The searches, in particular, took place in the house of the deputy chief of the national police Surachate Hakparn. Suspects face heavy fines and imprisonment.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the legalization of online football betting will attract additional taxes to the budget, which can later be used to support disadvantaged groups of the population.

Currently, betting on rooster, bull and Siamese fighting fish is legal in Thailand. Their resumption was announced at the end of February 2023.