Cuts in lottery prices and online lottery machines will only benefit wholesalers and big agents, lottery retailers say.
Following the National Council for Peace and Order’s (NCPO) recent order, the Government Lottery Office (GLO) has inquired into overpriced lottery tickets in the market.
Despite its marked price of 80 baht, most retailers are selling a pair of lottery tickets at 110 to 120 baht.
The GLO planned to speak to wholesalers and lottery ticket agents about controlling the price at 80 baht per pair.
Online lottery ticket booths will be introduced in the market.
Six-digit lottery numbers will be increased to seven.
Sirirat Rittidetcharoen, a lottery retailer at the Victory Monument who has been selling tickets for 40 years, said buyers would appreciate the lower price and that will make it easier to sell tickets.
However, Ms Sirirat said the price set by wholesalers or agents should be lower than the controlled price.
Retailers like her are now buying tickets from wholesalers at 80 baht, which is the price marked on the ticket.
She added only wholesalers and big agents will be called in to discuss the direction of the ticket price with the GLO. Small retailers like her don't have a say, she said.
Another retailer at Saphan Kwai intersection who asked to be named as Vilailuk said the online lottery booth would almost certainly draw customers away from vendors selling paper tickets, especially if the booth is also selling tickets with two- and three-digit numbers.
"Two- or three-digit tickets will be cheaper and easier to win, although with smaller prizes. It will be an interesting alternative," Ms Vilailuk said.
But the online lottery booth will boost her sales since she can afford an online booth if it's approved.
She could sell the paper tickets to those who want to win big prizes and online tickets to those who want a better chance of winning smaller prizes.
However, Ms Vilailuk expressed concern that the increased ticket digit, from six to seven, will hurt lottery sales because it means buyers have a slimmer chance of winning the jackpot.
Customers agreed with the decreased price but didn't think price controls would work.
There have been efforts by previous administrations in the past several years, but none succeeded.