thai lotto hanoi lotto is one of only two forms of legal gambling in Thailand. Its bi-monthly draws take place on the first and sixteenth of each month, and it is played by over 19 million Thais – 28.6% of the country’s population. Despite its popularity, it’s not the most impressive lottery game in terms of top prizes. However, it’s not a scam and is safe to play as long as you follow the rules.
The government-owned GLO prints the tickets and distributes them in a multi-tiered market, selling them to national wholesalers (often called brokers) who sell them on to 14,760 registered retail vendors across the country. This means that you’ll never be at risk of losing your money as there is a clear set of rules in place governing how the lottery operates, how winners are notified and how much of the proceeds will go towards national causes.
Tickets are pre-printed, include a variety of anti-counterfeiting features and can only be purchased in ticket pairs. They’re also numbered to prevent duplication. Each ticket is also marked with a QR code that allows the machine to scan and authenticate it, as well as other information. The machines that draw the numbers are regularly inspected by the GLO’s head office team, a team of experts who are known as “Draw Chairman”. During this process, they examine the equipment and look for anomalies. They also check that the number sets are balanced, and they ensure that no single winning ticket is sold more than once.
Until recently, most people bought their tickets from street vendors, the sort of person you’d expect to see carting a brown wooden box full of lottery tickets strapped to a bicycle. These traders are often blind, deaf or disabled, who use the lottery as a way to make a living and support their families. However, with online sales now taking over, they’re struggling to keep up.
The military-backed government has now changed the system so that retail venues can buy digital tickets directly from GLO, and they’re sold at an official price of 80 baht per ticket. It’s not only more convenient for the country’s retail venues but it also helps to bring down ticket prices, meaning that even those on a tight budget can now afford to play. The move has sparked questions over whether international players can play Thai lottery online, but at the moment there are no options available to them. This may change as the new digital system becomes more widespread. In the meantime, players can still purchase tickets at the street vendors if they’re willing to brave the long queues.
