Thai sisters arrested for allegedly running illegal online gambling website

Four alleged accomplices were also arrested.

Thailand.- Two sisters were arrested yesterday (April 25) along with four staff members for allegedl running an illegal online gambling website in Lampang province, northern Thailand. The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) investigated three houses in Bo Haew and seized four cars, four motorcycles, over 200,000 baht in cash, diamond ornaments and brand-name bags.

The CCIB said a website named Hppoipet had placed ads to induce people to gamble online. They said the site had more than 5,000 customers, including Thai and Cambodian citizens, and had been in business for 7 years. Another suspect, Kotchakorn Iang-on, 28, is being sought after allegedly opening a bank account with revenue from the website. 

See also: Thai police arrest two over illegal online lottery operation

The only legal forms of gambling in Thailand are horse racing in Bangkok and the government-sponsored Thai lottery. The Thai Ministry of Finance is currently working with 16 government agencies to explore the viability of allowing casino complexes.