Thailand's draft casino bill removed from House agenda

Thailand's government withdrew a controversial bill to legalize casinos from parliament, following mounting public opposition and a fresh bout of political turmoil that reduced the ruling coalition's majority¹. A motion to withdraw the so-called "entertainment complex" bill from the current session of parliament was raised on Wednesday, July 9, when it had previously been slotted for consideration, government whip Visuth Chainaroon told reporters on Monday¹.

The bill, formally the Entertainment Complex Bill, had been approved in principle on 13 January 2025 and would have allowed up to five casino resorts in designated areas³. Its progress had already been postponed until at least the next parliamentary session, set to begin on 2 July 2025, partly because of the government's focus on the aftermath of the March earthquake but more significantly because of public opposition and dissent within the ruling coalition³. The ISEAS paper states that at the time of writing the government had completely withdrawn the bill after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended over an ethics investigation³.

The withdrawal followed the exit of the Bhumjaithai Party, which had opposed the bill, and the suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for alleged ethical misconduct¹. Paetongtarn also faces other legal challenges after a leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, in which she was critical of the Thai army's role in an ongoing border standoff with the neighboring country¹. Without a clear majority, the government may face challenges in passing controversial or essential bills lined up in the coming months⁴.

Visuth said:

The bill's proposed conditions included a 5,000 baht (US$143) entry fee, background checks and proof of significant financial assets, described as a minimum bank deposit of 50 million (US$1.43 million), for Thai nationals³. The ISEAS paper notes the bill did not explicitly include anti-money laundering provisions, opting instead for know-your-customer requirements³. The Ministry of Finance had expected the bill to increase foreign visitors by 5 to 10 percent, tourism revenue by 120 to 220 billion baht (US$3.45 to 6.32 billion) and create up to 15,000 new jobs, with an expected GDP increase of at least 0.8 percent³. Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said at a party rally that the bill would create 20,000 jobs for locals with a salary of at least 20,000 baht (US$575) per month³.

Major operators including Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd, MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands Corp, Wynn Resorts Ltd and Melco Resorts & Entertainment had previously expressed interest in setting up integrated resorts in Thailand¹. The move to withdraw the bill is likely to frustrate foreign investors interested in developing casinos in Thailand as part of big entertainment complexes¹.

What it means for players

Casinos are not currently legal as a general market in Thailand⁵. Most forms of gambling remain illegal, with limited exceptions such as the Government Lottery Office, horse racing and certain traditional betting contexts⁵. The Government Lottery Office is described as Thailand's clearest legal gambling-style product, and horse racing betting is one of the recognized legal exceptions when conducted through authorized channels⁵. Thailand does not currently have a legal open online bookmaker market, and offshore bookmakers are not locally licensed Thai options⁵. The withdrawal of the casino bill means no regulated casino framework exists under that proposal, and it should be treated as a policy debate rather than an active legal casino market⁵.

What happens next

The bill's progress had been postponed until at least the next parliamentary session, set to begin on 2 July 2025, before the government withdrew it entirely³. The ISEAS paper frames its analysis as lessons for Thailand from the Philippines' experience with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, should the bill be revisited in the future³. No date has been reported for any revived consideration of the legislation.