The Thai police recently A raid on a luxury hotel in Pattaya, a suburb of the capital Bangkok, uncovered illegal gambling activities and arrested 93 people.
The investigation is said to be related to bribery, with the makeshift casino being allowed to operate after paying 2 million baht (about 53,000 euros) to government officials.
The police seized the suspects playing cards and other games in the hotel and further confiscated gaming tables, chips and playing cards, while CCTV cameras and smartphones were also taken as evidence.
There are 93 suspects in total, including 83 Indians, 4 Burmese and 6 Thais.
Thai police said Sitranan Kaewlor admitted charging Indian tourists 50,000 baht (approximately 1,300 euros) per person for accommodation, meals, flights and transportation, and renting the Asia Pattaya Hotel for 120,000 baht (approximately 3,200 euros) room as an illegal gambling den.
The 93 people included gamblers and operators. Later, it was revealed that this large group of Indian gamblers were released after appearing in the Pattaya Provincial Court, but there has been no explanation as to whether they were deported to India.
Among them, Chikoti Pavreen is a well-known gambler who was initially regarded as the behind-the-scenes operator and organizer of the incident. He disputed the accusations and said he was informed that the event was legal and was assured that the Thai government had specifically exempted it from operating.
Importantly, his inaction against the organization ultimately led to him being prosecuted separately from the six Thais found to be the operators of the illegal activity.
The raids come after Thai officials said they would significantly step up regulatory enforcement against illegal gambling.
In Thailand, gambling is almost completely illegal, with the exception of lotteries and horse racing. The ban has been in place since 1935, when the government passed the Gambling Act, which strictly prohibits people from owning more than 120 playing cards.
Despite this, the industry still generates an estimated $5.5 billion in revenue each year, with up to 70% of adults regularly participating in gambling activities. However, as the lucrative underground casino business continues to spread across Thailand, moves have been made to try to legalize these activities.
If such incidents continue to increase, there may be significant benefits in bringing the industry under legal supervision, so that not only can profits be made through the market, but people can also be legally protected from the risks of gambling harm, so that people are no longer exposed to the harmful effects of gambling. impact on the industry.
