Thai telecom watchdog cracks down on lottery TV ads
Television adverts of online lottery platforms is prohibited because it is considered a form of gambling, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) told TV stations on Thursday.
Phoomsisth Mahavessiri, NBTC’s acting secretary-general, said the watchdog had been alerted by the Government Lottery Office (GLO) that a private company was advertising on television encouraging people to buy government lottery tickets via its platform.
The order stipulated that adverts marketing lottery are prohibited under Section 39/2 of the 1974 Government Lottery Act.
The act bans inviting people to buy lotteries via any advertising or public relations methods to protect young people from being lured into gambling. It also bars the sale of lottery tickets to people below the age of 20.
The order adds that advertisements that persuade, promote or allow minors to gamble are also in violation of the 2003 Child Protection Act and could be violating the Operation of the Sound Broadcasting Service and the 2008 Television Broadcasting Service Act, specifically Section 37, which bars content that may affect society’s morality and public order.
The NBTC has ordered television stations to correct, improve or remove advertisements that do not comply with relevant laws, otherwise, they will face legal punishment.
