Miss Universe organising team caught illegally promoting gambling site
Filipina beauty queen encouraged to hold a pillow bearing casino logo in promotional video
Police were called to investigate the pre-pageant activities of Miss Universe at a hotel in Bangkok yesterday after a Filipino beauty queen was seen promoting a gambling website, which is illegal in Thailand.
Thailand is hosting this year’s 74th Miss Universe final competition, scheduled for November 27 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province. Representatives from participating countries have already arrived, with pre-pageant activities commencing yesterday.
An unexpected controversy arose on the first day of events at a hotel in the Charoen Krung area of Bangkok. Members of the organising team were allegedly seen encouraging the Filipina contestant to hold a pillow bearing the logo of a gambling website in a promotional video posted on official social media channels.
Witnesses who saw the video alerted hotel staff and Thai Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) Vice President Nawat Itsaragrisil, prompting them to contact officers from Wat Phraya Krai Police Station to investigate the incident around 4pm.
Police arrived at the scene along with Thai MUO Vice President and Chairman of Miss Universe Thailand, Nawat. Officers seized the pillow featuring the gambling site’s logo, along with filming equipment, as evidence. They later escorted Nawat and members of the MUO organising team to the police station for questioning.
Speaking to the media after being questioned, Nawat said he was initially unaware of the incident. He explained that his team members and audiences became suspicious after spotting a promotional banner for an online casino displayed in the video.
When the issue was reported directly to him, he went to investigate and confirmed that it was indeed an advertisement for an online gambling site. Soon after, hotel staff approached him for clarification, and security personnel subsequently called the police.
Nawat said the team responsible for the casino promotion belonged to the MUO’s headquarters, with most members being Mexican nationals.
He further revealed that two months before the competition, someone within the MUO had proposed an online casino website as a potential sponsor.
Nawat said he firmly rejected the idea, informing the team that such a partnership would be strictly illegal under Thai law and could damage the country’s reputation as the host. The Mexican team reportedly understood and agreed at the time.
All sponsors, both domestic and international, were later thoroughly vetted before the event, confirming that no gambling site was among them.
However, the Mexican-based team, led by co-owner and businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, allegedly went ahead with the illegal promotion regardless.
Nawat expressed frustration that the main Mexican team falsely accused him during their discussions with Thai authorities, claiming they had obtained his approval for the campaign.
The case is now under international legal review. He has since instructed contestants’ chaperones to remove all related social media posts and discard any promotional materials linked to the gambling website.
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