Thailand's Royal Thai Police and the Bank of Thailand are preparing to establish an Anti-Online Gambling Center (AOGC) with intelligent detection systems to disrupt illegal financial networks, the two agencies said. The plan follows a joint meeting on 9 July 2569 between the police force and the central bank, which was represented by Somchai Lertlapwasin, assistant governor of the financial institutions supervision line1.
The police force said the center would work to prevent and suppress online gambling and monitor abnormal transactions so that accounts can be frozen in time, with the Bank of Thailand supplying data on irregular transactions. The police said they have already sent the central bank samples of transactions suspected of using payment gateways to receive money circulating from gambling1.
The two agencies set out three areas of cooperation: exchanging data and issuing proactive alerts among police, the central bank, financial institutions and payment providers; having the financial sector support police investigations and the tracing of money trails; and integrating work with the Anti-Money Laundering Office, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the broadcasting and telecommunications regulator, banks, payment gateways and other financial service providers1.
"การพนันออนไลน์ยังคงเป็นปัญหาสำคัญที่เชื่อมโองกับอาชญากรรมทางการเงิน การฟอกเงิน และเครือข่ายทุนสีเทา"
The announcement came alongside the results of a separate crackdown on betting on the recent Fifa World Cup. Pol Gen Thana Chuwong, deputy national police chief and director of the Technology Crime Suppression Center, said the operation targeting World Cup football betting ran from June 6 to July 19 and led to the arrest of 617 bookmakers and 8,181 online gamblers, with 20.5 billion baht in betting-related transactions uncovered2.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Illegal gambling websites shut down | More than 4,5002 |
| Gambling-related URLs blocked | Nearly 558,0002 |
| Bookmakers arrested | 6172 |
| Online gamblers arrested | 8,1812 |
| Betting-related transactions uncovered | 20.5 billion baht2 |
Pol Gen Thana also said that between Oct 1, 2025 and July 19, 2026, police arrested 787 operators of illegal online platforms and more than 3,100 suspects linked to the illegal sale of firearms. He said online shopping scams remained the most common cybercrime in July, while impersonation scams caused the highest financial losses, and that bank transfers accounted for 65.4% of all online fraud cases and losses2. Authorities will also investigate influencers and celebrities who promote online gambling, as well as those who hire them for advertising campaigns, he added2.
What it means for players
Thailand does not license online gambling, and the police statement treats online betting as a financial crime problem tied to money laundering and gray capital networks1. The practical effect for anyone betting through Thai bank accounts or local payment channels is that the money trail, not only the website, is now the target. The AOGC is intended to let authorities identify and act on accounts and payment channels linked to online gambling quickly, which raises the prospect of accounts being frozen1.
Police also said mule bank accounts are the financial backbone of online criminal syndicates, and that bank transfers accounted for 65.4% of online fraud cases and losses2. The stated intention to investigate influencers and celebrities who promote online gambling extends scrutiny beyond players and operators to people who advertise betting services2.
What happens next
The police force has not reported a date for the AOGC to begin operating, and no start date has been reported for the cooperation framework with the Bank of Thailand1. The investigation into influencers and celebrities who promote online gambling, and those who hire them, has been announced but no timeline or targets have been reported2.
For the legal position on betting in the country, see Can I Gamble in Thailand? and Can I Play at Online Casinos in Thailand?. Penalties for players are set out in What Happens If You Are Caught Gambling in Thailand, and the regional picture is covered in Online Gambling in Asia: The Law for Players in 12 Jurisdictions.
