Thailand cabinet passes crucial drafted gambling bill; what next?

IMAGO

Thailand’s cabinet has approved a draft gambling bill which, if successfully implemented, would see land-based casinos enter the country. 

The motion is part of a wider governmental scheme to improve tourist revenue and drive local infrastructure – with nearby nations already benefitting from legal gambling. 

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Although most forms of gambling are currently banned by Thai law, horse racing, lottery and limited sports betting are available via state-run operators. 

This bill lays the foundations for a legal and regulated casino gambling framework – with plans for vast entertainment complexes comprising state-of-the-art gambling facilities central to the proposal. 

However, the controversial decision to require that all locals must possess a bank account with £1.1m or more in order to play has been received poorly by opposition parties, anti-gambling advocates and Thai nationals. 

In addition, local casino visitors will need to pay a £114 monthly fee – further pricing out a significant portion of the population. 

Preserving the wealth assessment rule contradicts recent comments by deputy finance minister, Julapun Amornvivat, who hinted that legislators may remove that section of the bill. 

Despite Amornvivat’s public recognition that many Thai citizens will not be financially capable of entering casino establishments, under the current bill’s rules, a government-wide desire to alter or revoke this requirement has yet to materialise.

Following the draft bill’s cabinet success, Thailand prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra — who earlier overcame a vote of no confidence amid pressure from opposition parties — revealed to reporters that the motion was not yet concrete and parliamentary amendments may yet alter its format. 

Moving forward, the ‘Entertainment Complex Bill’ will be reviewed by Thailand’s House of Representatives and Senate. 

Should everything proceed smoothly, the gambling proposal shall make its way to the country’s monarchy to be signed by the King. 

Government officials expect the integration of land-based casinos to bear monetary fruit – with investment estimates in the region of £2.28bn. Bolstered tourism figures are also on the docket, as projections mark a potential 5% to 10% boost in international visitors. 

Enhanced tourism resulting from legal casino facilities is anticipated to garner around £274m in additional revenue per year. 

This latest development comes in the wake of a recent survey overseen by the Thai Government, in which 80% of those asked expressed positive feedback. 

The public consultation saw 70,000 individuals outline their thoughts on the matter between 28 February and 14 March – and government officials later promised to address consistent concerns. 

While the bill appears set to flourish before the end of the year, opposition groups have already earned minor victories by stalling its progress. 

Specifically, unease concerning problem gambling and an over-reliance on casino products were allayed by a guarantee that all entertainment complexes will allocate no more than 10% of the total area to gambling material.