Thai PM Vows to Put End to Online Lottery

The prime minister of Thailand has vowed to put an end to the country's online lottery, but his opponents have accused him of being motivated by politics and not by facts.

Abhisit Vejjajiva said Monday that he wanted to find a way out the contract, adding: "From my point of view, I see the cons of the online lottery. If it can be avoided, it should be."

Abhisit said the online lottery would have negative impacts on society, claiming that it would bring about an increase in gambling and would be difficult to stop minors from participating. The matter will now be studied by a working group headed by a member of the PM's own ruling Democrat Party, to look into ways to get out of the contract without financial ramifications.

Staying the Course
But opposition leaders accuse Abhisit of turning against the lottery because it wasn't his idea in the first place. They point to the fact that the program was established in the first place by the administration of ousted former PM Thaksin Shinawatran for the exact purpose of putting to ticket overpricing and illegal underground betting.

Shinawatra was ousted from power in a 2006 coup.

Shares in Loxley Technology, the trading and telecoms group that runs the lottery, dropped around 21 percent following the PM's comments, prompting the company to threaten a lawsuit against the Thai government.

The company signed a contract with the Thai government in 2005 to run the national online lottery.