Gambling website slips past Thailand’s AI screening system

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) is investigating why its artificial intelligence (AI)-based screening system failed to detect Shuffle.com, an online gambling website reportedly linked to the husband of Bhumjaithai Party MP Suchada Zhang Thansap.

DES permanent secretary Patchara Anantasilp said on Friday that the website was no longer accessible from Thailand following a an official police request for action submitted to the ministry. 

Mr Patchara stated the website was blocked in accordance with established procedures and his office would examine why its AI system had failed to identify the site earlier.

According to the permanent secretary, authorities checked Shuffle.com after it became the subject of news reports and found that it was still accessible from Thailand. One possible explanation for the failure to detect it, he said, was that the website had relatively few users in the country.

“After the website appeared in the news, we checked it and found that it was still accessible, so we prepared to block it. However, it may have had relatively few users in Thailand, preventing the AI system from detecting it. We therefore need to improve the screening system to make it more effective at identifying websites of this nature,” he said.

An examination of the website while it remained open to Thai users found that Shuffle.com offered more than gambling-related content. It also featured entertainment services and event and party-related activities. DES officials reportedly found relatively little user activity, although the ministry did not provide a precise figure.

Although the website can no longer be accessed directly from Thailand, Mr Patchara said the ministry had other channels through which to continue monitoring it.

AI screening system under review

The DES ministry relies primarily on AI and automated systems to screen illegal websites, with the aim of reducing the need for individual officials, both to reduce errors from personal discretion and to avoid allegations of arbitrary enforcement.

The screening process follows criteria established by a committee under the Computer Crime Act, which includes a representative of the public prosecutor's office. Websites are identified through automated searches as well as information and complaints received from external sources.

However, the system still faces limitations in detecting websites whose servers are located overseas and whose transactions take place outside Thailand. Such activity may not be readily identified by the existing screening mechanisms.

The ministry will submit the Shuffle.com case to the relevant committee for consideration, with the aim of analysing the system's shortcomings and revising its detection criteria to improve coverage, Mr Patchara said.

Website blocking process accelerated

The ministry has developed a coordinated process with judicial authorities, including the Criminal Court, to shorten the time required to block illegal websites.

Under the revised procedure, the process can now be completed in approximately four days or less, with a court order obtainable in about three days.

Previously, the relevant committee had to meet every Monday, and the ministry's internal procedures alone took at least seven days, excluding the additional time needed to obtain a court order.

Committee meetings are no longer required in every case. They are retained for cases identified through officials' own investigations or referrals that require particular consideration.

Once a court order has been issued, the ministry forwards it to internet service providers (ISPs) to block access through their networks, or coordinates with platforms to have the offending content removed.

Mr Patchara acknowledged that persuading overseas platforms to remove gambling-related content remained difficult because gambling laws differ between jurisdictions, affecting the willingness of service providers to cooperate.

“Gambling is illegal in Thailand, but in some other countries it is not an offence under local law. As a result, platforms may refuse to remove such content. In contrast, when the content involves an illegal activity such as drug trafficking, platforms are willing to cooperate in taking it down. That is the difference in how these cases are handled,” he said.

Websites hosted overseas can also change their domain names or web addresses and resume operations after being blocked, making it difficult to determine the total number of sites circumventing the restrictions.

In serious cases requiring urgent action, the ministry may coordinate with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) for measures to be taken within its legal authority.

Blocked URLs double to one million

Mr Patchara indicated the DES ministry blocked more than 500,000 URLs linked to illegal websites last year. The figure has risen to approximately one million URLs this year, reflecting the increased speed of screening and enforcement made possible by automated systems.

Asked about Thai nationals gambling through overseas websites, he said such activity could potentially constitute an offence under Thai gambling law.

However, where transactions take place overseas, investigators would need to establish whether the transferred funds were genuinely connected to gambling.

Mr Patchara added that he was not directly specialised in interpreting the relevant legal provisions and therefore could not offer a definitive legal assessment of such transactions.