thai lotto is the official government lottery of Thailand. It is operated by the Government Lottery Office (GLO). Each ticket contains a grid of six-digit numbers and a selection of bonus numbers. The winning numbers are drawn twice a month, on the first and 16th of each month. Almost 19 million people play the thai lotto every year, making it one of the most popular gambling activities in the country.
The thai lotto draws take place at the GLO headquarters in Nonthaburi. Each draw is conducted in front of a live audience. The prizes are announced on national television and in the newspaper. The top prize is two million baht, which is about US$60,000. The rest of the prizes are in smaller increments. The thai lotto is played by both Thais and expats living in the country.
Players can buy tickets online or at retail venues. Each ticket is printed on special yellow paper and has a watermark of Wayupak, a mythical bird of Thailand. The ticket also has two types of silk threads, one which is visible to the naked eye and the other only under an ultraviolet light.
To protect the integrity of the thai lotto, the government has established strict security measures to prevent counterfeiting. The government has a team of inspectors who check the tickets before they go out for sale to ensure that the ticket is authentic. The thai lotto is also an important source of revenue for the government. In 2014, it took in more than 76 billion baht, about US$2.3 billion.
Lottery winners are required to present their winning ticket together with a valid Thai identification card or passport for foreign bettors. They must also pay a stamp duty of 0.5% on winnings from government lottery and 1% for winnings from charitable lotteries. The winnings are paid out in cash or cheque depending on the amount of the award.
The thai lotto is a popular pastime among women, who tend to play more than men. In addition, the thai lotto is not limited to people of high income, with low-income gamblers accounting for the majority of the participants.
In addition to playing the thai lotto, many Thais like to place bets on European soccer games. According to a bookie, the total turnover on these bets is about $2 billion per year. Some bets are placed at the stadium before the game begins, while others are made in advance. The betting industry has become so large in Thailand that the country is now a center for illegal sportsbooks. This has prompted the government to consider delaying television broadcasts of soccer games by 30 minutes in order to reduce the amount of money that changes hands.
