Famous Football Commentator Arrested For Illegal Gambling Promotion

Cyber police arrested Jaruwat Prib Wai, a prominent football commentator known as "Wao", at a condominium in central Bangkok for livestreaming football analysis and inviting people to gamble online. He admitted to receiving 50,000 baht per month in compensation. On July 7, 2569, Lt. Gen. Surpol Prembut, commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, led investigation officers with criminal court search warrant 489/2569 dated July 6 to search a condominium room in Samsen Nok sub-district, Huay Kwang district, before arresting Mr. Jaruwat Prib Wai, 44 years old, and seizing a notebook computer and iPad.

The cyber investigation unit discovered a TikTok account named "Jeaelooknang Wao77Daow" with over 5,329 followers and clips receiving up to 14,800 likes. The account featured videos and livestreams where he posed as an expert analyst, providing precise football match predictions and betting outcomes. Once he built a fan following, he would promote online gambling platforms via Line ID and websites. Investigation found the Line group linked to two major online gambling websites (ufafat11.com and member2.ufa747.farm), encouraging members to register with promotional incentives. New members depositing 300 to 2,000 baht received complimentary sports merchandise including shirts, bags, water glasses, and caps.

During the search, Jaruwat was resting after livestreaming the World Cup Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium. Upon questioning, he confessed to being hired for 50,000 baht monthly and had worked for two months. Authorities initially charged him with unlicensed gambling promotion and violations of the Gambling Act, with the case forwarded to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau for further legal proceedings.