Thailand police arrest four connected to 1 billion baht illegal gambling site

Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) has arrested four people suspected of running Juad888H. The betting website is illegal in Thailand, with police finding more than 1 billion baht ($29.5 million) in accounts connected to it.

Five locations were raided, including in Bangkok and Prachin Buri, which is about three hours from the capital. The four people arrested, three women and one man, were also charged with money laundering.

Five million baht ($147,273) worth of assets were also confiscated by the CCIB. Cash, ATM cards, a car, laptops, and phones were all taken, according to reports.

Another case around the same time saw two individuals arrested for being connected to mule accounts. These accounts are used to move cash around the business, often stealing others’ data or using others to pose as real players.

While people linked with the site’s operations have been arrested, the site is still fully operational. It claims to offer iOS and Android downloads, as well as having dedicated Line and Telegram accounts.

Thailand is currently debating whether or not to legalize gambling in the country. Advocates have claimed that it could bring in new tourism and hit $12 billion.

Currently, Thailand only allows for horse race betting and the Thai lottery to be gambled on. The country doesn’t even allow the ownership of playing cards if you happen to own more than 120 of them.

Efforts to legalize gambling are backed by the previous Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin. The goal here is to curb illegal gambling by offering legal avenues, as well as boost the economy.

The Entertainment Complex Bill is still on the cards with the current Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who has just managed to survive a vote of no confidence from the country’s parliament.

Currently, 80% of those who took part in a survey support the legalisation of casino resorts.

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