The government will begin an overhaul of the lottery distribution system next month to tackle overpricing of retail lottery tickets and put an end to the monopoly of influential people in lotteryquotas.
The government plans to re-arrange the distribution of lottery tickets so vendors nationwide can buy the tickets for resale at a price considerably lower than the current standard retail price of 80 baht per ticket, said deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd Tuesday.
Earlier, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha used Section 44 to order the appointment of a new Government Lottery Office (GLO) board.
The system overhaul will begin after lottery ticket quotas held by brokers expire next month, he said.
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The brokers are accused of profiteering from the quotas and passing tickets on to vendors at steep prices.
Maj Gen Sansern said the overhaul will create a new system for selecting quota recipients, ticket pricing and retail sales.
A GLO source said five groups of influential people have controlled the distribution of the government lottery tickets to vendors nationwide for many years.
The groups, which receive a majority of lottery distribution quotas from the GLO, bribed politicians in exchange for quota renewals, said the source.
Some key quota-holders are also known to have bought out lottery tickets with highly popular numbers from smaller brokers and later sold the tickets to retail vendors at marked-up prices, the source said.
As a result, the retail vendors are left with no choice but to increase the retail prices of the tickets, said the source.
Maj Gen Sansern said the vendors would probably be allowed to acquire lottery tickets at 70 baht each once the changes are in place.
This should give them a larger profit margin, he said.
The government also plans to set a portion of revenue from sold tickets aside for the purpose of buying unsold tickets back from vendors, he added.
Currently, vendors cannot return the lottery tickets they have bought from the GLO through contracted distributors, which means they have to pay for unsold tickets themselves.
"As soon as the government can ensure higher profits for vendors, there should be no more excuses to justify the act of marking up lottery ticket prices," he said.
Those who are still found flouting the law prohibiting the sale of overpriced lottery tickets would face tough legal action, Maj Gen Sansern said.
He warned that those who stand to lose from the lottery system overhaul might stir up trouble by giving incorrect information to vendors about the changes to ticket distribution, or enticing them to stage a protest.
He warned the groups not to engage in any activity that would disrupt public peace and order.
Some people have been enjoying the profits from distributing overpriced lottery tickets to retail vendors for a long time, he said.
The government intends to stop a handful of people hogging lottery ticket profits and wants to spread the profits fairly to vendors.
The deputy government spokesman insisted the right of people to buy lottery tickets at fair prices must be protected.
Maj Gen Aphiratch Khongsomphong, deputy chief of the 1st Army, who was appointed chairman of the GLO board last week, Tuesday called off what would have been his first meeting as board chairman.
Democrat Party deputy leader Sathit Pitutecha said the government must get rid of influential groups manipulating lottery quotas.