Thailand Blocks 945,075 Gambling-Related URLs in Fiscal 2026
Thailand.- 8 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Thailand blocked 945,075 URLs linked to online gambling during fiscal 2026, reflecting a significant intensification of government action against platforms and content considered illegal.
The figures were released by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, which also announced plans for further cooperation with technology platforms, search engines and civil society organisations.
Full Fiscal-Year Period
The data covers the period from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
The Ministry clarified that the figures refer to individual URLs rather than necessarily representing separate websites or operators.
A single domain can generate multiple blocked URLs.
More Than 835,000 Court-Ordered Blocks
Of the total:
- 835,207 URLs were blocked under court orders.
- 109,868 URLs were blocked or removed through direct cooperation with digital platforms.
The strategy therefore combines traditional legal enforcement with operational cooperation from major technology companies.
Online Gambling Leads Blocking Activity
Online gambling had already become the largest category of blocked content during the first half of the fiscal year.
Between October 2025 and March 2026, the Ministry blocked 480,081 gambling-related URLs, considerably more than other categories of illegal online content.
Artificial Intelligence Tools
Thai authorities are using technology to accelerate identification of illegal material.
This includes artificial intelligence and automation tools designed to:
- Detect gambling websites.
- Collect evidence.
- Prepare court applications.
- Send blocking orders to internet service providers.
- Check whether blocked content remains inaccessible.
Cooperation With Search Engines
The government also intends to deepen cooperation with search-engine providers.
The aim is to reduce the visibility of gambling websites and related content directly within search results.
This would complement individual URL-blocking measures.
TikTok and Meta
The Ministry also plans to work with platforms including TikTok and Meta.
A dedicated working group will analyse content reported by users and coordinate with platforms to remove gambling-related posts, pages or accounts.
Relevant information may also be passed to the Royal Thai Police.
Public Reporting
The strategy includes expanding channels allowing members of the public to report gambling content.
Authorities particularly want to gather feedback from young people and students about how they encounter gambling promotions and links online.
Protecting Young People
Reducing exposure among children and teenagers is one of the main priorities behind the next phase.
The Ministry intends to work with education, interior and security agencies to raise awareness of online gambling risks and promote safer social-media use.
World Cup 2026 Intensified Enforcement
Enforcement activity increased during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Between 1 June and 12 July, authorities blocked 55,377 URLs related to illegal gambling.
The government had identified the tournament as a higher-risk period due to the increase in sports betting advertising and promotions.
Public-Private Coordination
Thailand is increasingly combining court orders, platform cooperation, public reporting and automated monitoring.
The strategy is designed to restrict both direct access to illegal gambling sites and their ability to acquire users through social media and search engines.
Next Steps or Impact
After blocking close to one million gambling-related URLs during the fiscal year, Thailand is moving towards a more coordinated and preventive enforcement model.
The next phase will focus on reducing illegal gambling visibility across search and social platforms, increasing cooperation with technology companies and strengthening protections for younger audiences.
At the same time, the scale of the blocking activity highlights the challenge of tackling a digital market capable of continually generating new domains, pages and access routes.
Editó: @fonta
