The thai lotto is the most popular form of gambling in thailand. It is regulated by the government and is the only type of legal gambling allowed in the country. In 2014, over 19 million people played the thai lottery and spent 67 billion baht. The thai lotto is managed by the government lottery office (GLO) and is the main source of state revenue. The GLO prints the tickets and sells them to wholesalers and in the local market.
The GLO also offers a mobile app for players who want to check results and buy tickets on the go. They can also find out about the upcoming draws and how to play thai lotto online. The thai lottery is not as popular as other countries’ lotteries, but it still has a huge following in the country. Its popularity is due to the high winning odds and easy accessibility.
There are two thai lotto drawings each month, one on the first and the other on the 16th. The winning numbers are announced during the drawing. The top prize is six million baht. There are also other prizes, including the second prize, which is 100,000 baht. The third prize is 40,000 baht, and there are 10 prizes available for matching six digits.
In the past, there were also special prizes for those who purchased certain types of tickets. These included a maximum payout of 22 or 30 million baht, depending on the ticket type. However, these premium prizes were recently abolished.
Most Thais are big gamblers, and the lottery is no exception. Many of them try to divine the right numbers by visiting temples and shrines to ask for a sign from the gods. They also rely on advice from fortune tellers and other spiritual practitioners. For example, when a monk dies, many people visit his temple in order to pay their respects and hopefully pick up some helpful lottery hints. Figures in tree bark, a snake’s spots, rats (linked to the number one), and the number of spots on a cat’s fur are all common symbols that are seen as omens of good luck.
Another way that Thais choose their lottery numbers is to consult a palm reader. These professionals are known for being able to spot numbers that will appear more frequently than others. In addition, they can help players decide on the best strategy to follow.
To prevent counterfeiting, the GLO produces its lottery tickets on special yellow, thin paper. The papers are also printed with a watermark of a mythical bird called a Wayupak and are coated with chemicals that will show stains when dipped in bleach. In addition, there is a barcode and a two-tone color-shift watermark that can only be seen under ultraviolet light.
The GLO oversees the entire lottery process, from sales to prize payments. A large percentage of the total revenue is funneled into state coffers, with smaller portions allocated to street vendors (12%), ticket wholesalers, and foundations, associations, and organizations (2%) – each of which receive a cut of the jackpot.
