Football Betting

The football fever has started with the opening of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in South Africa. For the next 30 days, people around the world will be talking on football, football and football. It is also the season for football gambling. In most countries, football gambling is not legal but people in some countries especially the Asian countries face no difficulty at all in indulging in this form of gambling through illegal syndicates. Illegal footbal gambling is a big business in South East Asia. In Malaysia, it is a multi billion dollar "industry" even without the World Cup season and in Thailand it is also a lucrative industry.

In Thailand, in anticipation of heavy football betting during the World Cup season, the Social Development and Human Security Ministry will cooperate with the police in curbing illegal betting by setting up surveillance committees across the country, foccussing on schools as well. Football gambling is getting more rampant in schools. Students from a school in Thonburi province said that unlike in the past, these days many junior high and senior high female students too indulge in this form of gambling and are always talking about soccer.

In view of this, the Sangha Supreme Council in the country has joined hand with the authorities to alleviate this problem by asking temples across the country to carry out anti-football gambling campaign. Temples will educate novice monks and the general public against gambling and parents are urged to put an eyes on their children and and educate them to stay away from it.