Pheu Thai warns of billions in lost revenue from poker ban

Thienthong said an annual Poker Tour Festival could be a magnet for high-spending tourists.

Thailand.- The Pheu Thai Party has strongly criticised the government’s move to reclassify poker as a form of gambling, warning that it may cost the country 1.4bn baht in lost revenue every year. Sorawong Thienthong, acting party secretary-general and former minister of tourism and sports, cited figures from the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), which estimated that an average participant at a poker event spends about 20,000 baht daily over a 7-14 day period.

Thienthong said an annual Poker Tour Festival could be a magnet for high-spending tourists, thanks to the country’s network of hotels, convention centres and international airports.

Last week, prime minister and interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul rescinded a ministerial order issued in July that recognised poker as a legal game of skill, thereby reinstating the country’s long-standing ban on all card games associated with gambling. Thienthong says this defies international practices, noting that poker is a globally recognised sport with over 50 member federations, 450,000 professional players, and an estimated 100 million recreational players worldwide. 

He said: “The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) has recognized poker as a ‘mind sport’ since 2024, as it involves analytical thinking, strategy, and mental endurance. In July this year, the Sports Authority of Thailand endorsed poker and flag football as official sports with clear restrictions against gambling at competitions. So, the government can’t use gambling as an excuse.” 

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See also: Thailand reinstates poker ban

Thienthong said an annual Poker Tour Festival could be a magnet for high-spending tourists. Thailand.- The Pheu Thai Party has strongly criticised the government’s move to reclassify poker as a…