One would have to buy the lottery 100 times consecutively -- which amounts to around four years and two months -- just to win the two-digit prize, says a statistics expert at Thammasat University.
Assoc Prof Wararit Panichkitkosolkul referred to a recent study by the Faculty of Science and Technology at the university, which showed the likelihood of winning the government lottery. He said the government should stop promoting the lottery as it is already popular and the odds of winning are low.
The study also showed that the likelihood of winning 2,000 baht from the government lottery's final two-digit prize is only 1 in 100, in which a buyer needs to invest about 8,000 baht for one lottery ticket each round, 100 times.
Assoc Prof Wararit, an assistant to the dean and lecturer at the Faculty of Science and Technology, said the chances of winning the first prize are even less likely -- one in a million, he said, citing the study.
"Non-bank debts usually come from gambling, including playing the government and illegal lotteries," he said.
"What is even more worrying is that today's online technology has made the lottery, betting games and other gambling activities more widely available, with loans often quickly given to gamblers," he said.
"Rather than promoting the government lottery, particularly by releasing news about how much lottery winners stand to receive in each draw, the government should try helping people understand their limited chances of winning," he said.
Parents are also advised to pass on knowledge in statistical mathematics, which would prove useful for their future careers, he said.
Statistics will help them achieve more realistic perspectives on matters that require sound decision-making, he said. Gambling is one such example, as the odds of a win are actually quite slight. Graduates with a degree in actuarial science are in high demand, he said.
