The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society in Thailand has announced its commitment to collaborate with social media giants like Meta and TikTok to tackle the issue of illegal gambling advertisements.
Following discussions with various gambling organizations, the Ministry plans to develop monitoring data in conjunction with these social media platforms. This data will be forwarded to the Royal Thai Police for appropriate action.
Social media has been identified as a significant channel for the black market, particularly in attracting younger audiences to illegal gambling.
In June, the Consumer Council of Thailand (TCC) initiated legal action against Meta, alleging that the platform permitted fraudulent advertisements and online scams to proliferate, including those linked to illegal gambling.
This recent development suggests that Meta is enhancing its efforts to address the challenges posed by the black market.
Jesper Eliasson, a Director at PAF, recently confirmed a pilot partnership with Meta that involves sharing licensing documents and URLs. This initiative aims to help Meta distinguish between regulated and unregulated entities, including both affiliates and operators.
During the SBC Summit in Lisbon, Eliasson expressed optimism that this experiment in Switzerland could expand to other markets, potentially setting a standard across Europe.
In Asia, stakeholders are hopeful that the Thai Ministry's engagement with Meta will yield similar results.
All forms of gambling remain illegal in Thailand; however, the country is estimated to host a black market valued at approximately 1.1 trillion baht (around £25.1 billion) annually.
The Ministry of Digital Economy reported that between October 2025 and September 2026, court orders were issued to block 835,207 URLs associated with online gambling. An additional 109,868 URLs were blocked through collaboration with various digital platforms.
The Ministry currently relies on police data, artificial intelligence technology to identify and locate gambling websites, and public reports to combat the black market.
In recent discussions, the Ministry met with the Anti-Gambling Foundation (AGF), the Youth Network Against Gambling, the Youth Health Promotion Network, and the Children, Youth and Family Foundation.
Other initiatives announced by the Ministry include:
- Establishing channels for individuals to report information or experiences related to online gambling, enabling swift government action.
- Collaborating with search engines to implement measures that limit access to online gambling-related content.
- Working with relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of Education and security organizations, to raise awareness about the risks of online gambling, particularly among children and youth.
A statement following the meeting emphasized that tackling online gambling, including illegal URLs, requires a collective effort from all sectors, particularly the public, who play a vital role in providing information and insights.
The government aims to utilize this information to develop a robust monitoring system and coordinate with relevant platforms and agencies to ensure effective and timely responses to online gambling issues.