Protesters gather at Government House against casino bill

Thailand's cabinet on Thursday approved a draft law for casinos and entertainment complexes, according to the Bangkok Post¹. The presence of the entertainment complex bill on the cabinet's agenda drew about 80 protesters to Government House the same day¹.

The draft sets conditions for Thai nationals. It includes an entry fee of 5,000 baht and proof of at least 50 million baht in bank deposits, a requirement the report says would effectively block large swathes of the population¹. Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said earlier in March that the assets requirement for Thai nationals would probably be scrapped because it would exclude too many people, and that officials had decided to submit the draft in its current form and deal with possible amendments later¹. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra told reporters on Thursday that the details of the law were not final as parliament would have the final say¹.

Under the draft, the casino area may only occupy up to 10% of the entire space of an entertainment complex, according to a government statement¹. Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said the bill would require public hearings in locations proposed for entertainment complexes and compensation for any negative impacts¹. Operators would be prohibited from linking gambling at casinos to any computer system, broadcasting gambling at casinos, or trying to increase the number of players and bets, and casino operations would be subject to the anti-money laundering law¹.

The government hopes to achieve the following with casinos and entertainment complexes¹:

• attract at least 100 billion baht in new investment
• see an annual boost to foreign arrivals of 5% to 10%
• generate revenue of more than 12 billion baht a year

Jirayu said 80% of the 71,300 respondents to an online public hearing held from Feb 28 to March 14 expressed support for the bill¹. The report also notes a recent public opinion poll showing a majority of people are worried about the negative effects of legalized gambling, and that the opposition People's Party said legalizing gambling could backfire on tourism if China discourages its citizens from visiting Thailand¹.

Gambling is mostly banned in Thailand apart from state-controlled horse racing, the lottery and on some sports¹. A Citi report late last year estimated that about half of people aged 20 and more in Thailand could be casino players, providing a base for the country to potentially become the world's third-largest gambling destination¹.

Pichit Chaimongkol, a leader of the rally, said entertainment complexes and casinos were not in the policy statement Paetongtarn made to parliament but were being pushed by Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister's father¹.

What it means for players

Nothing changes immediately. The bill is a draft, and gambling in Thailand remains mostly banned apart from state-controlled horse racing, the lottery and some sports¹. If the draft becomes law as written, Thai nationals would face an entry fee of 5,000 baht and proof of at least 50 million baht in bank deposits to enter a casino, a threshold the report says would exclude large parts of the population¹. The deputy finance minister has said that assets requirement would probably be scrapped, but the draft submitted to cabinet keeps it, and the prime minister has said parliament will have the final say¹. The draft does not set out entry conditions for foreign visitors. The casino floor would be capped at 10% of an entertainment complex's total space, so any venue would be mostly non-gaming¹. For the current legal position, see Can I Gamble in Thailand? and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions.

What happens next

The bill will be sent to the House of Representatives, and if passed, will also need approval from the Senate and His Majesty the King¹. The report does not state when parliament will consider it.