Thai boxer “Sutthiwat” was arrested by Thailand police for promoting illegal gambling websites on social media site Facebook.
According to Thai news reports, the boxer was paid TBH1,500 ($45.18) by gambling sites for each post he promoted on his Facebook account, which has around 440,000 followers.
The arrest was made after a joint investigation, as part of a sweeping campaign to curb illegal gambling promotions and advertisements online. It was also part of Thailand’s long-term effort in combating illegal gambling in its own nation.
The investigations were led by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) under Police Lieutenant General Jiraphob Bhuridej and the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) led by Police Major General Athip Pongsiwapai.
Sutthiwat was found in violation of the Gambling Act of 1935, Section 12, which banned unapproved gambling ads.
“We have been vigilant in monitoring online activities and were able to identify this case through our ongoing efforts,” said a representative of the TCSD.
While Thailand would be keen to legalise gambling and casinos in the near future, the nation strictly prohibited any form of gambling and illegal gambling advertisements.
Earlier during the UEFA tournament, Thai’s Royal Police made up to 2,600 arrests related to illegal gambling, both online and offline.
