Thai sports media brand Khob Sanam says an illegal gambling network has hijacked its name and logo to promote online betting — and it is now preparing to take the operators to court.
Key takeaways
- An illegal gambling operation has copied Khob Sanam's name, logo and branding to promote online betting.
- The Nation Group-owned outlet is preparing legal action under Thailand's Computer Crime Act.
- Khob Sanam stresses it has no involvement in, and gives no support to, online gambling of any kind.
- Readers are urged not to share personal data, transfer money or download any app claiming to be Khob Sanam.
One of Thailand's best-known sports media names has found itself dragged into the country's online gambling underworld — not by choice, but by impersonation. Khob Sanam, a sports news and content brand owned by the Nation Group, says a criminal gambling network has been trading on its identity to lure bettors, and it is moving to stop them in court.
A trusted sports brand used as bait
According to the outlet, the network has lifted a close likeness of its name, logo, symbols, font, colours and overall commercial image to make its gambling offering look legitimate. The concern is straightforward: by borrowing the look and feel of a respected sports brand, the operators can “mislead the public without permission” and win the trust of fans who would never knowingly sign up to an unlicensed site.
It is a problem amplified by reach. Khob Sanam operates as a sports media outlet, content creator and premium sports community, and says it commands more than 14 million followers across its platforms and product lines. That audience is exactly what makes the brand such an attractive disguise for a gambling operation.
Legal action under the Computer Crime Act
Khob Sanam says it is preparing to pursue legal action against the network under Thailand's Computer Crime Act, the law most commonly used to tackle online impersonation, fraud and the spread of false information. The company has been unequivocal that it operates strictly within the law and has “no policy, is not involved in, and does not support online gambling in any form.”
What Khob Sanam wants readers to know
Alongside its legal warning to the operators, the brand issued a direct appeal to its audience to stay alert. Its advice to anyone who encounters a “Khob Sanam” gambling pitch is simple:
If you see a ‘Khob Sanam’ betting offer
- Do not hand over any personal information.
- Do not transfer money to the account or platform.
- Do not download any application claiming to represent the brand.
A symptom of Thailand's wider gambling problem
The case lands in the middle of an aggressive national clampdown on illegal online betting. Thai authorities have reported blocking well over 180,000 gambling-related web addresses in little more than three months, alongside a steady run of raids and arrests targeting the black market.
Brand hijacking is the natural next move for operators squeezed by that enforcement. Locked out of legitimate advertising channels, illegal sites increasingly piggyback on trusted names to reach players — which is why Khob Sanam's decision to fight back publicly, and legally, matters well beyond its own brand. For Thai sports fans, the takeaway is blunt: a familiar logo is no guarantee of a legitimate operator.
