Thai cabinet approves draft casino law

Thailand's cabinet approved a draft law on 13 January 2025 to legalize gambling and casinos in the country, part of a plan to allow casinos inside large entertainment complexes¹. The bill, formally the Integrated Entertainment Business Act and known as the Entertainment Complex Bill, was approved as a way to boost the economy at a time when gross domestic product was expected to expand less than 2.9% that year, lower than previous estimates².

The draft envisaged a new commission to regulate gaming and coordinate with investors in setting up such complexes². Casinos were proposed in Bangkok, on the holiday island of Phuket, and three other sites². Under the draft, gaming floors would be capped at 10% of each complex's total area, Thai nationals would pay a 5,000 baht entry fee and show 50 million baht in bank deposits to enter a casino floor, and the bill did not address online gambling at all³. Operators would need minimum paid-up capital of 10 billion baht, an initial license fee of 5 billion baht and an annual fee of 1 billion baht, with licenses valid for 30 years⁴.

The government, led by the Pheu Thai Party, hoped the plan would attract at least 100 billion baht in new investment, for an annual boost to foreign arrivals by 5% to 10%, helping to generate revenue of more than 12 billion baht a year². The Pheu Thai-led government expected casino-resorts to generate 12 to 39 billion baht in annual tax revenue while creating over 9,000 new jobs⁵. Citi estimated in a research report in November that Thailand's gross gaming revenue could reach US$9.1 billion when fully ramped, which would rank Thailand ahead of Singapore².

Public support was limited. A January poll by the National Institute of Development Administration found 69% of respondents opposed online gambling and 59% disagreed with both entertainment complexes and casinos, while 29% favored both; the poll surveyed 1,310 people⁶. A separate account of the same poll put opposition to the entertainment complex and casino project at 59.16%⁴. Palang Pracharath, the pro-military party that led the government before the 2023 election, said it opposed the initiative for fear it could fuel gambling problems and swell household debt².

Thailand currently allows gambling on state-controlled horse racing, the lottery and betting on some sports, such as boxing². The Gambling Act of 1935 remains the foundational law, banning nearly every form of gambling outright, with exceptions including the Government Lottery Office's national lottery, drawn twice monthly nationwide, and betting at two licensed horse racing tracks, the Royal Bangkok Sports Club and the Royal Turf Club of Thailand, available in person only³. There is no legal sportsbook, no legal online casino, and no legal bookmaker of any kind³. Using offshore betting sites is illegal for Thai residents, regardless of where the operator itself is based³.

What it means for players

Nothing changed for players when the cabinet approved the draft. Casinos remained illegal in Thailand, and the only legal gambling was the state lottery and in-person betting at two licensed horse racing tracks³. The draft did not cover online gambling, so it would not have created a legal online casino or sportsbook even if passed³. Using offshore betting sites remained illegal for Thai residents³. The draft's entry rules for Thai nationals, a 5,000 baht fee and a 50 million baht deposit balance, were designed to exclude most of the population and frame the policy around foreign tourism revenue³. If you are caught gambling in Thailand, you face a fine and jail time of up to a year, according to one account of the law¹. See Can I Gamble in Thailand? and What Happens If You Are Caught Gambling in Thailand for the current rules.

What happens next

The bill did not become law. The House of Representatives formally withdrew it on 9 July 2025, shortly after a political scandal collapsed support within the governing coalition, and a Senate committee separately rejected the legislation on 25 September 2025, citing social-impact concerns³. A June 2025 NIDA opinion poll found 57% of respondents opposed to the casino provisions, and roughly 1,200 demonstrators had gathered at Parliament in April 2025 while an earlier draft was still moving³. Officials, including Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, described the withdrawal as tactical, saying the bill would return "at an appropriate moment"³. As of mid-2026, no new draft has been tabled and no parliamentary date has been set³.