Thailand's Ministry of Finance published the Ministerial Regulation on Permission for Casino Business B.E. 2568 in the Royal Gazette on 19 December 2025, in volume 142, special issue 396 ง1. Under Article 2, the regulation takes effect from the day after its publication in the Royal Gazette1. The regulation was issued by the Minister of Finance under the authority of sections 17, paragraph one, and 50/2 of the Gambling Act B.E. 2478, as amended by the Gambling Act (No. 2) B.E. 25681.
Article 3 repeals two earlier ministerial regulations on casino business permission, both from B.E. 25661. Article 4 defines "applicant" as a person applying for a casino business license, covering both juristic and natural persons1.
Article 5 sets out who may apply for a casino business license, listing the permitted categories: a juristic person operating a hotel business, an entertainment venue, a convention or exhibition hall, a shopping mall, a restaurant, a sports arena, a public transport station or port, or another business prescribed by law1. Applications must use the form set out in the regulation1. Article 5 also lists the specific forms to be used depending on the category:
- form (2P2. 2-01) or (SSO. 2-01) for hotel, entertainment venue, convention or exhibition hall, shopping mall, restaurant, sports arena and public transport station applicants1
- form (2P2. 2-09) or (SSO. 2-09) for applicants operating a business under the entertainment place law1
- form (2P2. 2-18) or (SSO. 2-18) for applicants operating a business under the law on the operation of entertainment venues and the law on intoxicating liquor1
- form (2P2. 2-01/7) or (SSO. 2-01/7) for other businesses1
A natural person without Thai nationality must apply using the form for natural persons1.
Article 6 requires applications to be submitted with supporting documents to the Registrar at the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the provincial finance office, the provincial office, the district office, or via the electronic system, or by post in cases where the electronic submission system is not yet available1. Article 7 covers cases where a person already holds a casino business license in a location that has been closed for safety reasons, allowing them to submit a request for a license in the new location under the criteria set out in the regulation1. Article 8 requires a license holder who has received a casino business license in a hotel or entertainment venue, and in a shopping mall during the same period, to show the area in the application to separate the casino business area from the other business area1. Article 9 states that applications submitted to the Registrar or submitted via the electronic system before the regulation takes effect are considered applications under this regulation, and that a person who already holds a casino business license in a location closed for safety reasons and has not submitted an application may submit one under this regulation1.
The regulation is signed by Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, dated 5 December B.E. 25681.
What it means for players
The regulation sets out the application process for casino business licenses in Thailand, including who may apply, which forms to use and where to submit them. It does not itself grant any license or name any operator. For people who gamble in Thailand, the practical effect is that the licensing framework for casino businesses has been restated and the two earlier ministerial regulations from B.E. 2566 have been repealed1. The regulation does not change the underlying Gambling Act B.E. 2478, which remains the law governing what is legal1. The categories of permitted applicants are hotel, entertainment venue, convention or exhibition hall, shopping mall, restaurant, sports arena, public transport station or port operators, and other businesses prescribed by law1. No casino has been licensed under this regulation as of publication, and no venues or opening dates have been reported1.
What happens next
Applications may be submitted to the Registrar at the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, provincial finance offices, provincial offices, district offices, or via the electronic system, or by post where the electronic system is not yet available1. Applications submitted before the effective date are treated as applications under this regulation1. No date has been reported for the first licenses to be issued.
For more on how gambling is regulated in the region, see Gambling Regulators and Licenses in Asia: Who Licenses What and How to Check and Types of Gambling Licenses Explained: Concessions, Casino, Online, B2B and B2C. For the Thai market specifically, see Can I Gamble in Thailand? and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions.
Sources1 sources
- 97803.pdf, ratchakitcha.soc.go.th
