Casino News: $30,000 Seized by Police in Thailand

There has been a big arrest for gambling on Euro 2008 football matches in Thailand. More than 1 000 people were arrested and $30,000 was confiscated this week.
The confiscated amount are very small compared to estimates by research company Kasikom, which estimated that Thai gamblers would bet $1.2 billion on the three week, Euro2008 football championships just ended.

The people arrested included 192 bookies, 831 punters and 75 others, which sum up to 1098 people, police spokesman, Major General Ruangsak Jaritake told the Economic Times."We seized 931,496 baht ($30 000) and betting slips worth 524.2 million baht ($15.7 million)," he added. "We are satisfied with our arrests although we cannot arrest everybody. We focus on preventive measures."

According to the police officer, additional investigations would cause the prosecution of the biggest gambling operators under anti-laundering laws.

Police have systemed a special squad to keep an eye on major gambling criminals on a national scale. Under the kingdom's 73-year-old gambling law, players can be fined 1 000 baht or jailed for up to one year.

Many Thais avoid the ban by heading to Cambodia and Myanmar. Illicit transaction wagers are also widely placed on sports in a country where the English Premier League and international football are followed with a passion.

In March, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej proposed to have five casinos in Pattaya, Khon Kaen, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai. But the move received a hostile response from social conservatives in this spiritually Buddhist country, and the plans are suspended.

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