Thailand arrests 5,064 in World Cup gambling crackdown

Thai police said they have arrested 5,064 people for illegal gambling during the World Cup, including 258 bookmakers and 127 betting slip runners, Agence France Presse reported.
If convicted, they could face up to two years in prison and a 2,000 baht ($60) fine, but most are expected to received suspended jail terms unless there are particularly large amounts of cash involved.
More than 2,000 football gambling websites have been shutdown, the report said. According to police figures, around 3,800 people were arrested across Thailand for gambling during the previous World Cup in 2010.
Thailand’s new military rulers have been clamping down on illegal gambling, helping provide a boom for casinos along the border regions with Cambodia, which are reporting a sharp spike in revenue.