‘Beauty presenters’ summoned on illegal football promotion allegations

The Bangkok Post reports that 15 internet celebrities and beauty presenters – the first group of around 100 such individuals facing charges of illegally promoting football gambling services – have been summoned to appear before investigators at the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB).

Police Major General Phanurat Lakboon, deputy chief of the MPB, said that around 100 celebrities and online beauty presenters were found to have promoted illegal football gambling websites. This would result in them being charged for violating Section 12 of the act on illegal gambling, which prohibits such promotional activities, he said.

Police Lieutenant General Chanthep Sesavej, commissioner of the MPB, said that if illegal sports gambling is found in any area by officers from another precinct, but not detected by police in whose jurisdiction it falls, then the five most senior officials from the latter will be immediately transferred pending a probe.

The MPB has set up five teams tasked with leading efforts to suppress online football gambling and they have already shut down five major websites, said Phanurat.

Over 1,000 gamblers were found to have registered with those sites to bet on 2018 World Cup matches, police said, adding 22 million baht has been seized from their bank accounts and they will face legal punishment.

Deputy national police chief Police General Chalermkiat Srivorakhan said any entertainment venues found supporting illegal gambling activities could be closed for five years.

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