The government has intensified efforts to combat online gambling during the 2026 World Cup, revealing that in 18 days it has blocked over 13,000 gambling websites. It warned that unauthorized broadcasting of World Cup matches by copyright holders could lead to penalties of up to 4 years in prison and fines up to 800,000 baht.
On 22 June 2026, Ms. Ploytale Lakshamisangchan, Deputy Spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister, announced that the government is integrating relevant agencies to enhance the blocking of URLs linked to online gambling by utilizing AI technology to detect and analyze social media sites related to online gambling. This action follows Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s directive to proactively prevent and suppress online gambling. According to ongoing operations, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has blocked social media pages and illegal gambling websites based on court orders and collaborated with platforms during the 2026 World Cup from 1 to 18 June 2026, totaling 13,888 URLs.
Ms. Ploytale said that during the 2026 World Cup festival, the government invites football fans and businesses to be part of creating a positive and lawful atmosphere for cheering on the World Cup. This supports respect for intellectual property rights and promotes sustainable growth of the sports, media, and related industries, while encouraging avoidance of all forms of illegal gambling.
"Anyone who retransmits the live broadcast signal without authorization from the rights holder in Thailand—whether by recording the matches, online rebroadcasting, live streaming through online media, or commercial use—may be infringing copyright. In cases of commercial copyright infringement, the penalty ranges from 6 months to 4 years in prison, or fines between 100,000 and 800,000 baht, or both."