Social media platforms, influencers lure Thai youth into gambling

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Millions of children and young adults across Thailand are lured into online gambling via social media, newly released data suggests.

4 million users between the ages of 15 and 25 engaged in online gambling

Despite the ongoing actions of law enforcement, online gambling platforms continue to engage with Thai Gen Z users, with a new report suggesting some consumers tap into the activity at the age of 15. As announced by Nation Thailand, citing data from the Information Technology Crime Suppression Centre, as of early 2026, a whopping 4 million users, most of which new gamblers, between the ages of 15 and 25, engaged in online gambling activities. According to the National Police Chief, Pol. Gen. Kitrat Phanphet, the local authorities continue to actively monitor and combat illegal online gambling. While he acknowledged the ongoing fight against online gambling, the National Police Chief confirmed that a rise is expected in light of the upcoming World Cup this month. Pol. Gen. Phanphet instructed law enforcement to continue to combat online gambling activities and dedicate additional resources to fight online sports betting on football during the World Cup. According to law enforcement, online gambling websites are often advertised via social media platforms, including TikTok and Facebook, among others. At the same time, influencers and social media personalities abuse their popularity to promote online gambling, the authorities found.

In less than a year, 700K+ gambling websites and profiles have been blocked

Thanks to promotion via social media platforms and payment processing services, online gambling operators can reach millions of consumers, including children. In this context, the Thai government actively blocks online gambling websites, and the number of blocked URLs and profiles is getting closer to one million. According to the Deputy Inspector-General and Deputy Director of the Information Technology Crime Suppression Centre, Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiwphan, influencers who promoted online gambling have been arrested. Moreover, the Thai government has blocked a total of 717,425 gambling websites and social media platform profiles between October 1, 2025, and May 20, 2026. As the fight against illegal online gambling continues, law enforcement is investigating hundreds of other websites, planning to continue the crackdown, arrests and blocks with the goal of protecting the public.