The Government Lottery Office (GLO) has further postponed its April 1 draw -- this time until May 16 -- to help control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). It has also cancelled its May 16 ticket issue.
Patchara Anuntasilpa, chairman of the GLO board, said on Wednesday that the draw on May 16 was set for 2.30pm at the GLO office in Nonthaburi province.
He said the April 1 draw had previously been postponed to May 2, but the GLO board decided on a further delay because vendors had yet to sell lots of April 1 tickets. Holding the draw on May 2 would lead to increased efforts to sell the remaining tickets and thus could spur disease transmission, he said.
When it announced the first delay, the GLO cancelled its April 16 and May 2 ticket issues. With the latest postponement, the GLO also called off the May 16 ticket issue.
Mr Patchara said the GLO board remained interested in a project to sell lottery tickets online but the management of the GLO would have to find ways to prevent adverse impacts on ticket vendors, buyers and the general public.