The Thai government is accelerating the promotion of the "Entertainment Complex" or "Casino Law" project, but this plan faces various challenges, and it is still unknown whether it can be completed as scheduled.
In order to promote economic development, especially in terms of finding funding, the Thai government has set goals. However, all focus is on whether "Paethongthan Shinawatra" can become the future prime minister and successfully be re-elected.
To achieve this goal, the government has ordered that relevant decrees be issued within 50 days to act quickly.
However, what makes the government most anxious is that the proposal for a public referendum was rejected, claiming that a public hearing had already been held, and any further delay would affect the plans already made by the government.
This is the so-called "Entertainment Complex" bill, commonly known as the "Casino Law." However, this bill has encountered many disagreements during its implementation, with opinions emerging from all sides, not only from scholars but also from various parties within the coalition government.
Although some political parties support this bill in principle, they have proposed various conditions, demanding to participate more in the decision-making process, especially in the management and approval of committees.
According to the draft proposed by the Pheu Thai Party, the implementation power of the bill will be transferred to the prime minister or his designated person, which has become a focal point of discussion.
Currently, the most concerning issue is which companies will be approved for this project, i.e., which companies will benefit from it. This committee will have all the decision-making power, becoming a key target for many businesses competing for government commissions.
In addition, the Thai government also faces the issue of introducing legal online gambling laws. Although officials claim this will help bring underground funds to light, why this law is proposed at this time remains a question.
Next, the core issue of concern is what the legal draft will look like after the decrees are detailed. Especially in the distribution ratio between "entertainment" and "casino," the government states that 70% will be used for entertainment, with only 10% involving casinos.
However, whether this ratio can be maintained still needs further observation.
Furthermore, to prevent Thais from becoming addicted to gambling, the government has also stated that it will take strict control and supervision measures to ensure that law enforcement is flawless.
Although many are concerned that most of the casino's revenue comes from gambling rather than entertainment, the successful experience of countries like Singapore, which has more revenue from the entertainment industry and strict rules and law enforcement mechanisms, may provide a reference for Thailand. Unlike the casinos in Las Vegas or Macau, which focus more on gambling itself rather than the entertainment industry. On this issue, the Thai government will face both political and social pressures and must resolve political issues both internally and externally, especially within the coalition government.
Given the significance of this reform, whether the government can successfully pass this bill has also attracted widespread attention.
Although many countries have achieved similar reforms through referendums, whether Thailand can successfully do the same remains an unresolved question. After all, the struggle over the casino bill has already begun, rather than being a sudden challenge.
