Thailand's Government Lottery Office sold out its entire run of more than 5 million digital lottery tickets priced at 80 baht per ticket within four days, the office announced on 7 June 2022. Charnkrit Dejvitak, an assistant minister to the Prime Minister's Office who chairs a subcommittee studying measures to fix overpriced lottery sales, thanked the public for the response1.
The office said sales for the 16 June and 1 July 2022 draws would stay at the same volume for now. It will analyze each draw's sales to work out a suitable number, weighing whether each batch sells out so that agents do not lose money. It noted the first draw cannot be fully assessed because buyers tend to get excited about new products1.
The office plans to add more than 10 system features, including a discount system for agents to pass on to customers, searches for specific agent groups such as people with disabilities and associations, an easier set-number search, and the option to link accounts with banks other than Krungthai Bank1.
"อยากฝากเชิญชวนไปยังตัวแทนจำหน่ายที่ยังไม่เข้าร่วมโครงการสลากดิจิทัลได้ติดตามข่าวสารจากกองสลากฯ อย่างต่อเนื่อง เพราะคาดว่าในอนาคตอันใกล้นี้ จะมีการเปิดรับลงทะเบียนเพิ่มเติม"
The digital lottery is one of the office's short-term measures against overpriced tickets. Buyers can still buy paper tickets at 80 baht from the 362 sales points for 80 baht tickets, and the office said it will raise that to 1,000 points nationwide within July. A pre-booking registration scheme for buyers will grow from 130,000 to 200,000 people. The office said paper tickets remain available and have not disappeared1.
| Measure | Current | Planned |
|---|---|---|
| 80 baht sales points | 362 | 1,000 within July 2022 |
| Pre-booking registrations | 130,000 | 200,000 |
| Digital tickets sold | Over 5 million in 4 days | Same volume for 16 June and 1 July draws |
For the medium to long term, the office said it will launch a new 6-digit government lottery product this year, similar to the current lottery, and a 3-digit number lottery similar to the underground 2-digit and 3-digit games. It is signing a contract with Khon Kaen University before public consultation, after which the proposal would go to the Cabinet1.
The office rejected the idea that new products are meant to lure the public, saying they address overpricing and illegal lottery problems within the law, including an age limit that buyers must be over 20 to prevent youth access, and a ban on sales in schools1.
What it means for players
The 80 baht digital ticket is the office's attempt to give buyers a way to pay the official price rather than the marked-up prices common at street vendors. The sell-out in four days means supply is still short of demand, and the office has not said when the next registration window opens. Paper tickets at 80 baht remain on sale at the listed points, and the pre-booking scheme is expanding. The planned 3-digit product would put a legal version of a game that many players currently buy from underground operators on mobile phones. The age limit of over 20 and the school sales ban apply to the new products as described. Details of how the 6-digit and 3-digit products will be priced, drawn or claimed have not been reported.
What happens next
Sales volumes for the 16 June and 1 July 2022 draws stay unchanged. The office will analyze sales per draw before adjusting volumes. More than 10 app features are in development. Sales points are due to reach 1,000 within July 2022, and pre-booking registrations are to rise to 200,000. The 6-digit product is due within 2022, and the 3-digit product awaits a contract with Khon Kaen University, public consultation and Cabinet review. A date for the next agent registration has not been announced.
For background on how the Thai Government Lottery works, what a Thai lottery ticket costs and how to buy Thai lottery tickets online, see the linked guides.
