N3 lottery may get the chop
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N3 lottery may get the chop

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The Finance Ministry is considering the future of the N3 lottery after a disappointing public reception since its launch in November.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said on Tuesday the three-digit lottery (N3) introduced to compete with illegal lotteries and overpriced six-digit lottery tickets (L6) had not performed as expected during its trial phase.

Launched on Nov 1 as part of a six-month "sandbox" programme, the N3 lottery offers tickets priced at 20 baht each through 800 authorised sellers nationwide. The initiative aimed to attract buyers with a legal alternative and reduce underground lottery purchases by 10-20% annually.

However, sales have fallen short of projections, with only 1.17 million tickets sold last month compared to the five million tickets available per draw.

Critics argue N3 has failed to address key issues, such as the dominance of middlemen in the L6 market and systemic inefficiencies in the lottery distribution system.

Mr Julapun stated that the N3 lottery's impact would be thoroughly reviewed after the sandbox phase concludes in April. If the results remain below expectations, the government may cancel the initiative, he said.

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