Recently, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Julapan, detailed the casino ratio regulations in the "Comprehensive Entertainment Venues Draft" during an interview at the Prime Minister's Office.
He stated that the draft does not specify the casino ratio, as it aims to avoid excessive policy restrictions, leaving the final decision to future policymakers.
Julapan further explained that the casino ratio would depend on the scale of the entertainment venue. For example, if the area of the venue is close to a stadium, the casino ratio might be reduced to 1%; if it is similar to a basketball court, the ratio could reach 4% to 5%. The specific ratio has not been determined yet, as the final decision will be made by the policymakers at that time.
Julapan mentioned that although the casino ratio will be strictly limited to within 10%, this ratio is completely acceptable and will not adversely affect the overall operation of the entertainment venues. He is confident about this issue and believes that it can be well managed and ensure the smooth implementation of the policy.
When asked whether the policy might create legal loopholes, Julapan clearly responded that the core of the policy is not to develop casinos, but to promote an innovative business model aimed at driving strategic changes to the Thai economy and attracting hundreds of billions of Thai baht in investment.
He emphasized that gambling facilities and casinos are not the focus of this policy discussion.
Regarding the location of casinos, Julapan revealed that the legal draft does not specify a specific location, but leaves this decision to a "super committee."
He emphasized that given the uncertainty of future government decisions, this issue needs to remain flexible, so it is currently impossible to make specific predictions.
When asked if the future casino ratio might exceed 10%, Julapan firmly stated that it would not exceed this ratio in the business model.
He pointed out that global standards usually do not exceed 5%, such as the casino ratio in Singapore, which is only 3%. He further added that the casino ratio will never approach 100%, as it contradicts the concept of comprehensive entertainment venues.
Julapan called on the public to avoid excessive speculation or misunderstandings about the policy intent, ensuring a clearer understanding of the policy among all sectors of society. He reiterated that all related implementations will strictly follow legal procedures to ensure no negative impact on society.
