Thai Police Arrest 19 at ‘Loaded Dice-Using Gambling Den’ in Rubber Plantation

Thai police have arrested 19 people during a raid on a suspected gambling den that used loaded dice. The den was reportedly hidden in a rubber plantation in Phitsanulok Province’s Wang Thong District, in central Thailand.

The Thai media outlet Matichon Online reported police discovered evidence to suggest the den’s operators intentionally rigged dice-based gambling games at the den to ensure bettors lost.

Wang Thong District police said the arrestees had been charged and would soon appear in court. They said they seized cash and a range of gambling-related paraphernalia during the September 3 raid.

Police said they conducted their operation in conjunction with the Territorial Defense Volunteers. Officers said they acted following several tip-offs from members of the public.

Loaded Dice: Owner Rigged HiLo Games, Say Police

A spokesperson said they found the gambling den in a shelter next to the rubber plantation and a field where farmers were growing cassava.

Officers said they approached the shed from three directions, where they found a “large group of gamblers” betting on a game called HiLo.

When they saw the police, the group ran off in several directions. Most were eventually apprehended, police said, but “two or three gamblers managed to escape.”

HiLo is one of Thailand’s most popular dice games. It requires bettors to predict the scores of three dice. Players typically bet on “high” or “low” scores, although they can also bet on specific scores.

But officers said they found evidence that the den’s operator used a hidden mechanism to manipulate the dice rolls.

Police arrested 14 women, one of whom was identified as the “owner” of the gambling den. Another of the women was identified as the dice-rolling “dealer.” Officers also arrested five males.

Remote Control Clue

Police said they seized an undisclosed amount of banknotes, later presenting them to prosecutors as evidence. They also confiscated dice and HiLo table covers, as well as CCTV cameras, monitors, and computer servers.

When officers also discovered a remote control in the owner’s bag, they began to suspect something else was amiss.

The police decided to inspect the main gambling table, where they found a false bottom. Under this, they discovered a large electronic circuit board and two batteries, encased in a shockproof plastic shell.

Images released from the raid appear to show the unit also featured a metal plate, suggesting the dice may have been loaded with magnets.

This, police think, allowed the owner to move the dice and ensure they landed on certain numbers.

Officers took the arrestees to Kaeng Sopha Police Station and later transferred their cases to the Phitsanulok Provincial Court.

Last week, police in Bangkok arrested 200 people in a third raid on a notorious underground casino in the city’s Don Mueang District.

The casino’s operators, district residents claimed, admitted teenagers. Many of these young residents have since become addicted to gambling, the residents added.