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Survey says most oppose Thailand casinos

| By Marjorie Preston
Almost 60% of respondents to a new poll oppose a Thailand government plan to introduce casino complexes and legal online gambling.
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It’s a turnaround from last year, when 80% of residents during a public comment period expressed support for Thailand’s Entertainment Complex bill.

In the new poll, reports the Bangkok Post, 59.19% of respondents said they oppose the complexes, with just 29% supporting them. In addition, more than 58% strongly oppose legal online gambling and fewer than 20% strongly support it. 

The poll, conducted 20-21 January by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), has a margin of error of 3%.

The legislation calls for five resorts with conference centres, amusement parks, hotels and concert venues as well as casinos. It has been approved in principle by the cabinet and is now under review by the Council of State, which has 50 days to present its report. It will then go to the parliament.

Pros, cons and social costs

Proponents of the bill point out the potential benefits. The finance ministry estimates the resorts will increase gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.2% during construction and 0.7% thereafter and increase tourism revenue by 13%.

Citigroup estimates that a mature Thai gaming industry could reap revenue of $9.1 billion (£7.2 billion/€8.6 billion) per year. At that level, the jurisdiction would displace Singapore, the third largest market behind Macau and Las Vegas, which generated $5.94 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2024.

Thai lawmakers hope to open the first complexes by 2029, before Japan debuts its first-ever casino resort in Osaka. But citizen groups say not so fast. Last week, protestors hit the streets of Si Sa Ket, claiming casinos and online gambling bring serious social risks that could endanger future generations. The Stop Gambling Foundation (SGF) of Thailand agrees. It has slammed the bill as a short-term fix that cannot fix complex problems.

“The state does not have money and does not know how to make money” and is resorting to gambling as a cash cow, SGF member Wichet Pichairat recently scoffed.

Thailand’s Council of State, which serves the government in an advisory capacity, is on the fence, saying the bill as it now stands emphasises gambling over entertainment.

MP Rangsiman Rome of the People’s Party is concerned about corruption. “Shady Chinese businesses have used Thailand as a base for illegal activities, but the government has no clear measures to crack down on them”, he told the Post last week.

Natchapol Jittirat, professor of law at Chulalongkorn University, added that casinos could turn Thailand into “a hiding place for criminals”.

PM promises to address concerns

Speaking to reporters Saturday, prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra defended the plan, which has drawn the interest of global gaming companies like Galaxy Entertainment, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Melco Resorts and Entertainment.

“Entertainment complexes are not free gambling dens,” she said, adding that the industry will “serve as a key attraction for tourists, generating new sources of income for Thailand. This is crucial because our current income is not enough to drive GDP growth.”

She insisted casinos would only be “a small part” of wide-ranging tourist destinations. The bill will undergo further revisions before passage, she said, to address public concerns.

Paetongtarn’s father, influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, also supports entertainment complexes, saying they could enrich the government by $3 billion a year.

According to the draft bill, if legal casinos are approved, locals would pay an entry fee of $148, a policy designed to curb problem gambling. Admission for foreigners would be free.

Currently, Thai gamblers may only wager on state-run horse races and a lottery.

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