PUBLISHED : 1 Dec 2024 at 05:40
More than four million young Thai people have been drawn into online gambling, which risks developing into an addiction that takes a toll on their health, according to experts.
This warning was issued by Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, director of the ThaiHealth Promotion Foundation, during the 2024 conference of the Centre for Gambling Studies (CGS) held in Bangkok’s Samyan area on Friday.
Dr Pongthep highlighted the growing prevalence of online gambling platforms, often promoted by influencers, which has enticed over four million young Thais into gambling online.
“Continuous gambling leads to a loss of self-control. Even after experiencing losses or wanting to quit, individuals find it hard to stop, which is a dangerous sign,” he said.
Dr Pongthep stressed the risk of developing gambling habits and even addiction — a psychiatric disorder akin to substance addiction — that can affect families, communities, and society at large.
“One gambling addict affects 10–17 people close to them,” he added.
Since 2010, ThaiHealth has been working to reduce gambling-related issues through awareness campaigns, fostering youth resilience, and advocating policies to regulate and mitigate gambling problems, Dr Pongthep said.
CGS director Nualnoi Trirat presented findings from a 2023 survey by the Research Centre for Social and Business Development.
The survey, which covered 7,131 respondents aged 15 and older across 24 provinces between Nov 15 and Dec 27, showed that 99.3% of Thais know someone who gambles.
The survey found 21% of children and 26% of teenagers feel tempted to gamble due to social influences. Additionally, over one million youths aged 15–18 gambled last year, an increase of 231,000 from 2021.
Among those aged 19–25, 3.92 million participated in gambling, while senior citizens aged over 60 accounted for 4.47 million gamblers. That’s an increase of over 400,000 gamblers compared to 2021. Approximately 7.45 million gamblers reported financial instability, mental health challenges, and interpersonal conflicts as consequences of their gambling habits.
Ms Nualnoi said around six million gamblers are at high risk of becoming long-term, problematic gamblers, yet Thailand lacks adequate mental health services to support them.
More than half of Thais oppose the legalisation of gambling activities such as football betting, casinos, and online platforms, fearing it would exacerbate gambling addictions, she added.