BANGKOK, Feb 27 – More than half of the Thais queried on the state lottery believe there is fraud in the bimonthly lottery draws, an academic survey revealed today.
The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) conducted the survey among 1,256 people Feb 20-21 on the Thai public’s lottery buying behaviour and scams.
More than half of the respondents (54.38 per cent) said they regularly joined raffles by purchasing either legal or underground lotteries.
The survey found that 50.24 per cent of respondents believed there have been frauds in lottery draws and said lottery results frequently have two similar digits.
However, half of the respondents — 49.76 per cent — did not believe there was fraud, saying the lottery draws were broadcast on TV and strictly controlled.
Only one half of one per cent separates the opposing points of view, 0.5 per cent.
Buyers of underground lotteries are more suspicious of the government lottery, with those suspecting lottery draw fraud amounting to a much higher proportion at nearly 62 per cent.
Dr Pornpen Vorasitha of NIDA’s Faculty of Economic Development said accusations of lottery draw fraud have been widespread lately.
Some people said the rumour was aimed at stimulating people to buy lotteries while some pointed at political implications, claiming it is part of populism, she said, indicating that there was no evidence to substantiate the allegations. (MCOT online news)
