Over 2,600 people have been arrested by the Royal Thai Police since the start of the Euro Cup as a result of their increased efforts to stop unlawful gambling.
The Assistant National Police Chief, Pol Lt Gen Akkaradej Phimonsri, stated that the Center for the Prevention and Suppression of Illegal Euro 2024 Football Betting has been aggressively working to stop illicit gambling operations. Targeting both online and in-person gambling, the crackdown runs from June 14 to July 14.
According to recent data, 784 arrests for unlawful on-site gambling were made between June 21 and June 27, involving 769 bettors and 12 bet collectors. A total of 117,440 baht ($3,193) was exchanged during this time.
During the same period, authorities also arrested 265 suspects involved in illicit online gambling, dismantled 80 websites, and seized over 400 million baht ($10.9 million) in connection with online betting.
Since the center’s inception on June 14, a total of 2,113 individuals have been arrested for on-site gambling, involving 39 bookmakers, 2,052 bettors, and 22 bet collectors, with a total circulation of 339,754 baht ($9,239). Online gambling arrests during the same period amount to 513 suspects, including 63 organizers and 450 bettors, with over 1.8 billion baht ($48.9 million) involved. Additionally, 142 websites were shut down.
“The Royal Thai Police will continue their stringent efforts to suppress illegal football betting activities,” emphasized Akkaradej, as reported by The Nation. He issued warnings to businesses allowing public viewing of Euro 2024 matches, urging compliance with legal requirements to avoid legal consequences.