Online Lottery Tickets Driving Street Vendors Customers Away

Lottery tickets vendors in northern and northeastern Thailand have complained of declining sales after the online lottery was implemented, driving away their customers.

There has been a sharp drop in sales of lottery tickets since online lottery sales began last week with tickets going for the legal 80 baht each.

In northeastern Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province, customers have visibly thinned around the lottery stands on Chomphol Road, one of the province’s biggest areas for vendors to offer tickets. Some vendors barely sold a single lottery ticket yesterday.

A lottery vendor on Chomphol road told CTN News that customers have switched to buying lottery tickets online since they are cheaper and more convenient.

According to Ms. Aosanthia, 67, the stands are usually thronged with customers throughout the month, especially around the two monthly lottery draws.

Before the online lottery was introduced, customers used to search for their preferred numbers a few days before a draw took place. Consequently, they avoid searching for the numbers too close to the draw, afraid the numbers may already be taken.

Sales of Lottery Tickets Declined Overnight

We’ve never had such a quiet time here before. In fact, the ticket vendors are worried we may not sell a single ticket,” Ms. Suphiab explained.

If sales don’t pick up, she said she might have to sell her tickets at a loss. “I might have to sell them for 50-60 baht each. It would be better than getting nothing,” she said.

She urged the government to stop the online lottery sale because it has left many vendors in dire straits.

Meanwhile, in the north of Thailand in Uthai Thani, vendors outside Wat Nong Kadee Nok were weighing in on how many tickets they would buy for sale at their stalls for the next draw.

In the past, most customers didn’t mind paying more than 80 baht for tickets, vendors said. After the online lottery was launched, the vendors said they were feeling the pinch.

By midday Saturday, 4,080,643 online tickets had been purchased by 983,296 buyers.