POLICE nationwide have been instructed to be on alert and watch out for gambling as the Euro 2016 football championship kicked off in France today under tight security, amid fears the tournament could be the target of a terrorist attack.

Thais are expected to spend about Bt76 billion (US$2.1 billion) during the competition. The Economic and Business Forecasting Centre at the Thai Chamber of Commerce University said recently that up to Bt50 billion of that sum was likely be spent on gambling.

National police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda has ordered police across the country to intensify measures in order to crackdown on football gambling particularly in major cities, deputy police spokesman Pol Maj-General Piyapan Pingmuang said yesterday.

Gambling dens found with over 100 punters and more than Bt10 million in circulation would be dealt with via anti-money laundering laws, while “smaller gambling operators would be prosecuted under the Gambling Act, which includes imprisonment,” he said.

Police have formed a special taskforce to crack down on football betting, as ordered by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his deputy, Prawit Wongsuwan.

An anti-football gambiling operation centre was officially launched yesterday. Deputy national police chief Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen, the centre’s chief, said crackdowns until June 8 had resulted the arrests of 19 major bookies and 700 punters.

Police meanwhile raided two places on Ramkhamhaeng Road, arresting 10 alleged gamblers and confiscating computers suspected of being used in gambling. Police commandos searched a shophouse in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 53 and arrested two bookmakers and three gamblers.

Bookmakers were attempting to delete betting data from their computers when police arrived. But police managed to retrieve the data, Pol Colonel Torsak Sukwimon, operation chief said.

At another building in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 29, five alleged bookmakers were arrested along with lists of bets and cash. Their five computers were also confiscated.

Meanwhile, in France, President Francois Hollande vowed to take decisive action to stop strikes hitting the showpiece event.

The action on the pitch starts when France face Romania at the Stade de France in Paris at 1900 GMT (2am Saturday Bangkok time), but the build-up has been hit by industrial unrest over labour reforms and fears the tournament will be the target of a terrorist attack.

As bags of uncollected rubbish piled up in the streets of the capital and train drivers threatened to disrupt services to the stadium, Hollande said he would take “all necessary measures” to ensure the event runs smoothly.

“I will be paying close attention… and if decisions need to be made, they will be made,” Hollande said. “Public services will be provided… The whole of Europe will be watching.”

Up to 90,000 police and private security guards will protect players and supporters, just seven months after coordinated Islamic State attacks in Paris killed 130 people.

The stringent security measures got their first real test on Thursday when superstar French DJ David Guetta gave a free performance in the fan zone at the foot of the Eiffel Tower where some 80,000 spectators had to pass through two checkpoints. The government is eager to make sure the championship goes off without a hitch, but weeks of protests and industrial action have provided a sombre prelude to Europe’s four-yearly football extravaganza.

As hundreds of thousands of fans began pouring into the capital ahead of the football action, a train strike rumbled into its ninth day on Thursday, while bags of rubbish piled up on the streets.

Rail workers have threatened fresh disruption yesterday on lines serving the main stadium.

She told iTele it was “not right for a modern country to continue being permanently disrupted”.

France remains a top target for the Islamic State group and warnings from the US and Britain that the tournament could be a target have only added to the sense of nervousness.