In an effort to prevent the negative impact of online gambling on youth and the general public, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has shut down over 2,800 online gambling websites over the past year as part of a crackdown campaign.
According to Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the campaign was jointly launched in 2020 by the ministry, and several government agencies, including the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
Under the campaign, the ministry serves as the main unit to collect evidence on illegal activities being conducted within each online site and submit it to the court to have websites in violation taken down. It would also work with the RTP in providing the latter with useful information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of individuals behind each gambling site.
Chaiwut said officials shut down as many as 2,819 URLs suspected of operating internet gambling businesses between September 2021 and August 2022. This figure exceeds the 1,259 websites taken offline between September 2020 and August 2021.
The digital economy and society minister cautioned that online gambling is harmful to the public, particularly young children and that it can exacerbate or precipitate mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and personality disorders. He added that financial issues, indebtedness, and even bankruptcy are some of the many severe consequences of internet gambling addiction.
Chaiwut urged anyone with information about online gambling sites to contact the hotline 1212 or the Facebook page @DESMonitor. (NNT)
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