Laos deports 41 Thai gambling website workers after crackdown

The Lao government has recently deported 41 Thai nationals who were operating online gambling websites from the capital Vientiane. This action followed a previous crackdown on illegal gambling networks, human trafficking and scam operations in Laos. The deported group consisted of 30 women and 11 men, who had previously worked as administrators for gambling websites in Cambodia.

They were apprehended in Laos and subsequently handed over to Thai authorities at the Territorial Defence Volunteer Company in Nong Khai along the Thai-Cambodian border. Upon initial screening, none of the deportees were identified as victims of human trafficking or had outstanding arrest warrants. The group had crossed the border to set up their gambling operations, with all of them admitting to working on 12-hour shifts for three websites.

Pay varied between the operations, with workers at Maha Heng 777 earning 400 baht per day, while those at UFA and 365 were paid 15,000 baht and 18,000 baht monthly, respectively. This deportation is part of a broader effort by Laos to combat illegal gambling and associated criminal activities.