Lottery reform success: End of five tiger mafia influence

In NCPO policy success, unlimited lottery tickets to be issued to make supply equal demand, strict 80 baht enforcement & end of large vendor quota system in December.

LOTTERY

Lottery reform: End of five tiger mafia influence

21/10/2015
Adapted from editorial & Wichit Chantanusornsiri article

The board of the Government Lottery Office (GLO) has decided to abolish the 10-year-old quota-based ticket system after the quota held by the last broker expires in December.

The move is part of efforts to cap the retail price of lottery tickets at 80 baht a pair.

END OF FIVE TIGER SYNDICATES

The rights to more than 6 million lottery tickets held by three large vendors under the quota system will lapse in December, and the system will then be scrapped.

The so-called five tigers will then cease to exist.

This is a success for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which has used Section 44 to address the problem of lottery ticket overpricing. 

Tackling overpriced lottery tickets was one of the NCPO's priorities following the May 22, 2014 military coup. 

However, lottery tickets held by the private "five tiger" groups -- Salak Mahalarp, Diamond Lotto, Yardnampeth, Pluemwatthana and BB Merchant -- under the quota system have been blamed for the problem, as they pass through several large vendors before reaching retail vendors.

Some tickets believed to stand a high chance of winning have seen their prices jump to more than 100 baht a pair.

TICKET SUPPLY NOW EQUALS DEMAND

The GLO recently approved the allocation of an unlimited number of tickets to retail vendors, issuing tickets based on demand to solve the overpricing problem.

Under the new system, small vendors place their ticket orders for each draw directly with Krungthai Bank branches.

The government has also imposed a series of corrective measures -- offering discounts to small vendors, launching probes of backdated tax payments and applying anti- money laundering laws to those selling tickets for more than 80 baht a pair...

The increase to 50 million pairs of lottery tickets will push the GLO's printing capacity to the maximum.

STRICT 80 BAHT PER TICKET ENFORCEMENT

Large vendors will be eligible to buy lottery tickets for 68.80 baht a pair for resale to retail vendors at a maximum 70.40 baht, the same price as those buying directly from the state-owned bank.

Consumers will then buy the tickets for no more than 80 baht a pair.

Any vendor found selling ticket pairs for more than 80 baht will have their supply halted immediately.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/737096/glo-halts-ticket-quota-system

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/738948/praise-for-lotto-job-well-done

http://asia.nikkei.com/Features/ThaiTurmoil/Tigers-the-real-winners-in-Thailand-s-lottery-economy

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