The number of gamblers betting during the Euro 2024 tournament is expected to be 51% higher than during Euro 2020 because football fans find it more exciting than just watching the games, said Thanakorn Komkrit, secretary general of the Stop Gambling Foundation.
New gamblers do not tend to bet on football matches because it requires a lot of knowledge about the teams and their past performance, unlike betting on online slot machines.
He noted that cracking down on illegal online gambling is made more difficult if officials themselves are involved in gambling activities.
In May alone, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society shut down 6,500 gambling websites, but many more are still running.
Thanakorn said there have been an estimated three million gamblers in Thailand for the past two years, and the numbers have not increased significantly.
He noted, however, that the amount bet has increased substantially, as 80% of these gamblers are spending more, especially working people aged between 20 and 30. There are fewer young gamblers.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Business Forecast Centre of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce forecasted that about Bt67 billion is expected to be circulating in gambling activities during the month-long UEFA 2024 Champion League tournament.
The first match kicks off today in Munich with a game between the hosts and Scotland.
Almost Bt90 billion is expected to be spent in Thailand during the European soccer extravaganza, with only about Bt20 billion being spent on food, drinks, and live broadcast packages. The rest will go on gambling.