The War Veterans Organisation (WVO) must issue clear details on how its lottery quotas are managed and explain why some veterans do not have quotas to sell tickets, Flying Officer Tanadej Pengsuk, a People’s Party MP, said this week in his capacity as a member of the House Committee on the Armed Forces.
He addressed the ongoing concerns over lottery quota management, noting the WVO receives 10,988 books per draw, equivalent to 1,098,800 tickets each time or 26,371,200 a year. This is divided between the Disabled Veterans Association of Thailand, which gets 4,235 books, and the WVO’s Lottery and Cigarette Sales Office, responsible for managing 6,735.
Annual dividends include payments to disabled veterans and their families, totalling 57 million baht per year — or 2.1 baht per ticket. Flg Off Tanadej said the tickets are sold to the WVO for 70.4 baht, but the printed price is 80 baht. Given the gap of nearly 10 baht, this has caused people to question why the dividend per ticket is only 2.1 baht.
It has also triggered queries about how the quota is managed, who benefits, and the transparency of proceeds meant to support veterans rather than private interest groups, he added.
“Some veterans do not receive quotas to sell the lottery tickets. They are given dividends instead. So it raised a question if these veterans are being used as frontliners, he said.
Flg Off Tanadej claimed the lotto quota scheme has been connected to money laundering and scam networks.
“When was the last time you were able to buy a lottery ticket at its official price of 80 baht? Many governments have attempted to tackle overpricing through various quota management schemes, yet the results have been limited.”
Money laundering through lottery winnings is another issue, he said. Individuals holding “grey money” — funds from illicit or untraceable sources — can purchase winning lottery tickets from the original winners, then claim the prizes in their own names.
Once the prize is officially paid out by the Government Lottery Office, the money becomes legally recognised income. For example, a person could spend 40 million baht to buy a winning ticket worth 40 million baht, instantly turning illegal funds into “clean” money.
Flg Off Tanadej said he is preparing to petition several agencies on the matter, including the Department of Special Investigation.