thai lotto is a popular form of gambling in thailand. It is a government regulated and operated lottery with the goal of raising money for charity. It is not to be confused with the chinese lottery, which is illegal in thailand. The thai lottery was first held in 1933. Its purpose was to raise money for education and medicine. Today, it is the source of state revenue and is the main funding source for the country.
Besides the national lottery, there are also a number of regional lotteries that offer smaller prizes. However, it is important to remember that the odds of winning a prize in the thai lotto are still quite small. It is estimated that the top prize of a thai lottery ticket is one in a million.
The thai lotto is run by the Government Lottery Office (GLO). The GLO prints and sells the tickets to local registered vendors, who then distribute them throughout the country. This is the only legalized form of gambling in thailand. In 2014, 67 million people played the thai lotto, spending 76 billion baht.
To deter counterfeiting, thai lottery tickets are printed on special paper with a watermark of a mythical bird called a wayupak and a pattern that can only be seen with the help of ultraviolet light. They are also coated with chemicals that show up as stains when exposed to bleach. The GLO also checks the numbers with a laser scanner. In addition, each thai lotto ticket has a barcode.
While gambling is technically illegal in Thailand, it is a huge industry and many Thais have a yen to win big. In fact, sex and gambling accounts for 10 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. In addition to the official lotteries, there are a number of informal casinos and gambling dens called “huay tai din.” Gambling is also very social, with winners obligated to share their luck with friends. Monks are frequently asked to provide lottery numbers and advice on other gambling options.
In Thailand, betting on European soccer matches is a big deal. Some $2 billion dollars change hands each year in bets on games, with the most money placed on English Premier League matches. This phenomenon has spawned its own newspapers, radio stations and television shows. In addition to the sports betting, thais love to place bets on the outcome of political events and TV dramas. It is even common to place bets on cockfights and fish fights.
