Study: Media inducing Thais to bet

Study: Media inducing Thais to bet

Live football broadcasts and football betting odds and predictions available on various media platforms have encouraged people to gamble on the games, the Centre for Gambling Studies (CGS) said on Monday.

Its research showed that males aged 21-30 years comprise the largest group that gambles on football. They follow the sport by watching matches on television.

CGS said most people bet only on football matches that are broadcast live, especially when the team they support is playing. 

The number of gamblers increased dramatically as the number of live football broadcasts on free-TV increased, it added.

It was thought these people often use the money they won to purchase cable-TV, which gives them even more access to the sport and increases their tendency to gamble.

The CSG  pointed to football betting odds, columnists' predictions and data on previous matches in newspapers and on the internet as the factors condusive to gambling on sport.

CSG spokesman Pongsatorn Jantarasamee asked the mass media to present news ethically and take youth into account as well.

He said parents should strive to ensure their children have a positive outlook toward football  and point out the consequences of gambling.

The government should also pass laws that forbid the mass media from presenting gambling-related news, with strong penaties for agencies that do not comply, Mr Pongsatorn added.

The centre is under the Sodsri-Saridwongsa Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

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