Thailand's Entertainment Complex Bill approved in principle

Thailand's cabinet approved in principle a draft law that would legalize gambling and casinos, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday 13 January 2025¹. The bill, which would allow up to five casino resorts in designated areas, is to be sent to parliament for deliberation². The government presented it as a way to boost tourism, jobs and investment¹.

Under the plan, gambling would take place inside large-scale entertainment complexes rather than standalone casinos¹. The bill proposes three governing bodies: an Entertainment Complex Policy Committee, an Executive Committee and an Operational Committee². A policy board chaired by the prime minister would decide where complexes are built and how many licenses are granted³. Complexes would sit on state-owned land, cover about 300 rai each, and house four or five hotels totaling 5,000 rooms, an amusement park and a convention hall, with the casino taking up about 3 to 5 percent of the space³. Each complex would require investment of more than 100 billion baht, with construction taking three to five years³. Licenses would run up to 30 years, with a 5 billion baht registration payment plus 1 billion baht a year³.

The Ministry of Finance expected the bill to raise foreign visitor numbers by 5 to 10 percent, tourism revenue by 120 billion to 220 billion baht, and to create up to 15,000 new jobs, with GDP up at least 0.8 percent². Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat gave the same visitor and revenue figures and put job creation at 9,000 to 15,000¹. Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said at least 20,000 jobs would be created per location, each paying at least 20,000 baht a month⁴. A Thai government estimate cited elsewhere put the tourism increase at 5 to 20 percent and visitor spending rising from 40,000 baht to 60,000 baht⁵.

For Thai nationals, the bill would require a 5,000 baht entry fee and proof of a bank deposit of at least 50 million baht². Casinos and most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, with only state-controlled horse racing and the official lottery permitted¹. The most popular form of gambling is the government lottery, with 27.5 million participants, while football betting accounts for the largest share by financial value at 270.415 billion baht². Neither activity is covered by the bill². The bill does not explicitly include anti-money laundering provisions, relying instead on know-your-customer requirements².

As many as seven major global players were reported to be interested in complexes in locations including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya³. Macau-based Melco Resorts & Entertainment recently opened an office in Bangkok³. The first complex was expected to open in 2029³.

What it means for players

Casinos remain illegal in Thailand while the bill is only a draft, and the penalties for gambling are unchanged⁶. The bill as drafted would not open the market to all Thai players: entry would be restricted to Thai nationals paying a 5,000 baht fee and showing a bank deposit of at least 50 million baht². The two gambling activities most Thais take part in, the government lottery and football betting, would not be covered by the complexes². No opening date for any venue has been set beyond the 2029 expectation for the first complex³.

What happens next

The bill was to be forwarded to parliament, with deliberation expected to take 7 to 9 months before it becomes law³. That timeline did not hold. The bill's progress was postponed until at least the parliamentary session set to begin on 2 July 2025². It was withdrawn from the House on 7 July 2025 and formally withdrawn from parliament on 9 July 2025, after a leaked Thailand-Cambodia phone conversation led to the suspension of the prime minister⁵. The bill's status is listed as suspended⁵.