The Royal Thai Police has arrested as many as 2,600 people for allegedly being involved in illegal betting, both online and offline, since the start of the UEFA tournament.
According to Lieutenant General Akkaradej Phimonsri, Assistant Director of the National Police of Thailand, as of June 27, 2024, a total of 2,113 suspects have been arrested, including 39 bookmakers, 2,052 bettors and 22 bet collectors, illegal offline The total circulating amount of gambling activities reached 339,754 baht. In terms of illegal online gambling activities, 513 suspects were arrested, including 63 online gambling organizers and 450 gamblers, and 142 websites were closed, involving a transaction volume of approximately 1.8 billion baht.
The data was provided by the Center for the Prevention and Suppression of Illegal European Cup 2024 Football Betting, which has been responsible for monitoring and curbing illegal betting activities from June 14 to July 17.
"The Royal Thai Police will continue to crack down on illegal football betting activities," Akkaradej said.
He also warned that commercial operators or institutions allowing the public to watch Euro 2024 matches should "shut down their services in accordance with legal requirements" to avoid legal action against those who violate the requirements.
Recently, Thailand announced that the final draft of its Casino Bill will be ready for review in four weeks. As the Prime Minister said, this is one of the ways to address the existing illegal gambling operations in Thailand.
