Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has increased action against illegal gambling sites and pirated World Cup streams, working with broadcaster Mono Next to speed up removals during the tournament. The ministry’s Illegal Website Monitoring Center blocked 12,671 URLs linked to online gambling and copyright infringement between June 10 and June 24. The campaign combines court-led blocks with direct cooperation from major social media platforms.
Court orders and platform takedowns drive removals
Authorities blocked 4,496 URLs through court orders during the two-week period. A further 8,175 URLs were removed through work with Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
The ministry did not split the latest total between gambling and piracy links. It has treated both issues as part of the same World Cup enforcement campaign, with illegal betting promotions often appearing alongside unauthorized match streams and clips.
Thailand has already blocked more than 437,000 illegal URLs since October 2025. Online gambling made up 362,482 of those blocks, based on government figures covering the period through February 28.
The ministry uses automated systems to identify suspected illegal activity before sending cases for court action or removal requests. It also checks whether internet service providers have kept blocked sites inaccessible after orders are issued.
Mono Next joins the World Cup enforcement effort
Deputy Digital Economy and Society Minister Nan Boontida Somchai met Mono Next chief executive Nawamin Prasopnet to discuss faster reporting and blocking procedures. Mono Next holds Thailand’s broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the English Premier League.
The company will share information with the ministry’s monitoring center to help identify illegal platforms after violations are detected. The arrangement is intended to shorten the time between a report and a takedown request.
Thailand bans most forms of gambling, with state lottery products and horse racing among the limited exceptions. Online betting operators do not have a regulated domestic market, leaving enforcement agencies to focus on website blocks, payment trails and promotions targeting local users.
The World Cup has increased the pressure on authorities because illegal betting websites often use matches and live broadcasts to attract players. The ministry has kept its public reporting channel open around the clock, allowing users to flag gambling sites and piracy links for review. Thailand is using website blocks and social media takedowns to reduce illegal betting during a busy period for football.
