Thailand legalizes tournament poker by ministerial order

Acting Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai signed Interior Ministry Order No. 2253/2568 on 30 July 2025, revoking Order No. 490/2501 dated 28 July 1958, which had banned poker outright¹. The order legalizes poker played for money in tournaments under controlled conditions, with the stated aim of hosting international sporting events and promoting tourism¹.

The change is not blanket legalization. The order does not apply to cash games¹, and poker remains under Category B of the Gambling Act, meaning it requires special permission⁴. Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the move was part of a formal process to recognize poker as a sport, not legalization of gambling in general⁴.

Phumtham said a full legal framework has yet to be implemented¹. He said it might initially be appropriate to allow competitions case by case while a committee studies legislative amendments, and that the Council of State would have to review the step². Other laws still apply, including the Playing Cards Act of 1943, which restricts possession and importation of unregistered cards and limits individuals to owning no more than 120 cards unless registered with the Excise Department².

The order followed a 23 July 2025 decision by the Sports Authority of Thailand board to classify poker as a sport eligible for registration under the Sports Authority of Thailand Act B.E. 2558 (2015)³. Baker McKenzie, writing on Lexology, said the revocation means poker may now be eligible for licensing, subject to current laws, with permission granted only for tournaments organized as sporting events to promote tourism³.

The timing drew opposition scrutiny. Bhumjaithai MP Korrawee Prissananantakul, chairman of the House Committee on Provincial Administration, said a tournament scheduled for 30 July was delayed by one day to 31 July after the order was signed, and that organizers had not applied for permission⁴. He said the committee viewed the tournament as illegal gambling and called for the matter to be referred back to the ministry⁴.

What it means for players

Tournament poker moved from a prohibited activity to one that can in principle be permitted, but only within events organized as sporting competitions and only once a Poker Sports Association exists⁴. Cash games are not covered by the order¹, and poker remains a licensed category under the Gambling Act rather than an open activity⁴. The 1943 playing cards law still limits possession of unregistered cards². Anyone organizing or playing outside a permitted event faces the same Gambling Act provisions as before, since the order removes a policy barrier rather than creating a general right to play⁴.

What happens next

A committee is to study legislative amendments, and the Council of State must review the step, with regulations possibly needing repeal before competitions can be held². A full legal framework has not been implemented¹. The establishment of a Poker Sports Association is a stated precondition for play⁴. No date has been reported for any of these steps.