Thailand finalizes draft Entertainment Complex Act

Thailand's Finance Ministry has finalized the draft of the Entertainment Complex Act, according to government sources cited by the Bangkok Post. The bill will now undergo a public hearing as required by Section 77 of the constitution to ensure public participation in the push for passage of the legislation¹.

The bill would allow casinos to operate legally inside entertainment complexes, which the sources describe as integrated venues combining hotels, retail, dining, recreation and casino facilities². An operator must pay 5 billion baht to register plus an annual payment of 1 billion baht¹. The complexes are open to all foreigners, but Thai citizens must pay an entry fee of 5,000 baht, and individuals under the age of 20 are prohibited from entering such venues¹. A policy board chaired by the prime minister would set the rules and regulations governing the complexes².

The government has spoken favourably of entertainment complexes in the past, and the bill spells out reasons to establish them and allow casinos to operate legally within them². The House committee studying the scheme said the project was expected to generate at least 12 billion baht in taxes for the country in the first year². Five venues are seen as potential hosts for the project: two in Bangkok and one each in the Eastern Economic Corridor, Chiang Mai and Phuket².

The bill also includes provisions for a Gambling Prevention fund to finance rehab services, gambling education programs and crime-prevention tactics³. Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, speaking to Reuters, said: "We have to admit that there is illegal gambling in the country, we are trying to get rid of (it) but it cannot be wiped out, so we have to rethink and see that it is time for this"³. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said legalizing casinos would generate jobs, enable the state to earn revenue and create a mega entertainment project³. The opposition Anguwan Parinyakurukit, a spokesman for the Thai Sang Thai Party, slammed the project, saying lax law enforcement could hinder efforts to regulate the casino industry².

The finalization has put Cambodia's casino industry on notice of competition from across the border. Thourn Sinan, Cambodia Chapter Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, said the new law could have a significant impact on Cambodian casinos in border towns, depending on where the new Thai casinos are located¹. As of 2023, Cambodia had 87 casinos approved by the Cambodian Commercial Gambling Management Commission, down from over 200 operating before the pandemic, mostly in Sihanoukville¹. Cambodia's law does not allow local citizens to play in the casinos¹. According to some estimates, 95 percent of visitors at Cambodian casinos in the border town of Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province are Thai citizens¹. In the first six months of this year, Thailand was the leading market source for Cambodian tourism¹.

What it means for players

For Thai citizens, the draft sets a 5,000 baht entry fee and bars anyone under 20 from entering venues with casinos¹. Foreigners would face no entry fee under the draft². The bill would lift the current ban on casinos in Thailand, where gambling has been banned by law for decades³. No casino in Thailand can operate legally under the draft until the bill passes and licenses are issued; no start date for operations has been reported. In Cambodia, where locals are barred from casinos, the competition could affect border venues that rely on Thai visitors, particularly in Poipet¹. Whether Thai players would stay home rather than cross into Cambodia has not been reported.

What happens next

The draft goes to a public hearing under Section 77 of the constitution¹. After the hearing, the bill, along with public feedback, will be presented to the cabinet for consideration². Coalition parties will hold a monthly meeting at Government House to discuss the entertainment complex bill and other topics². No date for the hearing, a cabinet decision or a parliamentary vote has been reported.

For more on the rules in the region, see Can I Gamble in Thailand?, Can I Gamble in Cambodia?, Can I Gamble in Macau? and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions.