Thursday, Oct 18, 2012
A recent survey shows that most students and teachers are against the government's plan to launch lottery-vending machines, saying that they would only encourage gambling.
Conducted by the Family Network Foundation and Assumption University, the survey covered 1,042 students, all under the age of 21, and 884 teachers between the ages of 30 and 59. The findings were disclosed at a seminar yesterday.
The Cabinet has already approved a plan to sell two- and three-digit lotteries via vending machines from January 1 next year.
According to the survey, a third of the students and about half of the teachers said the plan was mired with hidden self-interest. About 72.8 per cent of the teachers said lottery-vending machines would not help eradicate the underground lottery.
"Also, 66.4 per cent of the teachers said children would definitely spend money on the lottery machines once they are launched," the network's manager Tanitcha Limpanich said.
According to the survey, 25.3 per cent of students admitted that they would buy lotteries from the vending machines.
Tanitcha added that easy access to lotteries would also push gamblers deeper into the obsession of winning big prizes.
Supapak Pongnoi, a teacher from Kunnatee Wittayakom School, said youngsters might first consider the vending machines as toys and end up becoming addicted to gambling.
"Don't forget that they are still young and cannot tell the difference between right and wrong," she said.
Meanwhile, Nattakij Jitsriphan from Nonthaburi Youth Council said the government should introduce measures to prevent children from having access to the vending machines.
Wallop Tangkananurak, secretary-general of the Foundation for the Better Life of Children, said the Government Lottery Office was duty bound to introduce measures that would curtail the adverse impacts of the lottery-vending machines.
"These machines should not sell tickets to anyone below the age of 18," he said, adding that he agreed with the suggestion that these machines should be at least 50 metres away from educational institutes.
