Thailand moves closer to legalising casinos: Cabinet approves draft bill

The draft bill will now be submitted to the House of Representatives for consideration and eventual enactment as law.

Thailand.- Thailand prime minister Pateogntarn Shinawatra has today (January 13) announced the country’s cabinet has approved the draft bill to legalise casinos. It will now be headed to the House of Representatives for further consideration. No specific timeline for its enactment has been set. 

The draft bill to legalise casinos proposes 30-year casino licences with the option for a 10-year renewal. Complexes would be located in designated areas and operated by companies registered in Thailand with a minimum paid-up capital of THB10bn (US$283m). Casino entry fees for Thai nationals have been set at THB5,000 (US$144). A policy panel led by the prime minister and a regulatory agency would oversee the industry.

According to a study by the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO), the establishment of IRs could increase visits to Thailand by 5 to 20 per cent and increase spending per visitor from THB40,000 (US$1,184) to THB60,000 (US$1,776).

The Council of State has raised six points of concern regarding the draft law:

1. The draft law focuses only on casino entertainment venues. This goes against the government’s goal to promote diverse tourist destinations that include water parks, amusement parks, shopping malls, concerts, festivals and top sporting events.

2. If the law is going to focus only on “entertainment complexes”, it needs to clearly explain what this term means.

3. A study by the House of Representatives says entertainment complexes will help fight illegal gambling. However, the public sees entertainment complexes as places for various recreational activities, not just gambling. Current laws already regulate entertainment establishments. According to the report, the problem with illegal gambling comes from not enforcing these laws properly. So, they argue it’s unclear how the new law would solve the illegal gambling issue.

4. If the government aims to address illegal gambling or allow gambling in entertainment establishments, it could update the existing Gambling Act from 1935.

5. The finance ministry should clarify the goals of the draft law. This will help the Cabinet decide whether the law aims to develop tourist destinations or tackle illegal gambling, as these are two different objectives that require different legal approaches. They should also consider public opinion and feedback from relevant agencies, especially the interior ministry.

6. The public should receive accurate information about the draft bill to clear up misunderstandings about its goals before it is submitted to the Cabinet.

Despite these concerns, Pichai Chunhawajira, Thailand’s finance minister, has dismissed the objections raised by the Council of State. He emphasised the need for Thailand’s tourism industry to remain competitive with other countries and added that aside from the Council of State, no government agency opposed the bill. 

According to local media reports, the finance ministry is currently working to address jurisdictional concerns and is planning measures to restrict access to casinos for Thais under 20 years old.

See also: Melco opens an office in Thailand

The draft bill will now be submitted to the House of Representatives for consideration and eventual enactment as law. Thailand.- Thailand prime minister Pateogntarn Shinawatra has today (January 13) announced…