Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) plans to work with Meta, TikTok and other social media platforms to identify illegal gambling advertisements and strengthen enforcement against online gambling.
Thailand Expands Social Media Cooperation
The ministry plans to develop monitoring data with social media platforms and share relevant information with the Royal Thai Police for further action.
Thailand prohibits most forms of gambling, while the country’s illegal gambling industry is estimated to have an economic value of THB1.1 trillion. Authorities are seeking stronger cooperation with technology companies to identify illegal promotions and limit their reach, particularly among younger audiences.
The initiative builds on existing enforcement methods that combine police intelligence, artificial intelligence tools and public reports to identify gambling-related websites and content.
Authorities Continue Blocking Gambling URLs
From October 2025 to September 2026, Thai authorities blocked 835,207 gambling-related URLs through court orders and another 109,868 through cooperation with digital platforms.
The figures refer to individual URLs rather than distinct websites or gambling operators, highlighting the scale of online content targeted during the fiscal year.
In June, Thailand’s Consumer Council filed a lawsuit against Meta over allegations that the platform had failed to adequately control scam advertisements and online fraud, including promotions linked to illegal gambling operators.
Public Reporting and Education Measures
DE also plans to introduce reporting channels that allow the public to submit information about online gambling content. The ministry will coordinate with search engines to restrict access to gambling websites through search results.
In addition, DE will work with the Ministries of Education and Interior and relevant security agencies to raise awareness of online gambling risks among children, students and young people.
The ministry has also consulted anti-gambling organisations and youth advocacy groups on ways to strengthen monitoring and prevention.
The measures reflect Thailand’s push for closer coordination among government agencies, technology platforms and the public to address illegal online gambling.
