The entertainment complex act in Thailand continues to make its way through the legislative channels. The bill will return to the cabinet in March, then be submitted to the parliament.
The draft bill was approved by the Thai cabinet in January this year, setting a framework for establishing casino resorts at up to five locations nationwide.
The "entertainment complexes" styled after Singapore—initially up to five—will include hotels, entertainment centers, conference facilities, theme parks, and casinos.
The State Council, a government advisory body that just completed reviewing the bill, supports the regulation that limits casino floor space to no more than 10% of the total building area.
However, Atavit Suwanpakdee, chairman of the Industrial Ministry's Advisory Committee, told the Bangkok Post that details such as the number of resorts and their locations are "still unclear."
The online gambling segment is also under discussion. Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Prasert Jantararugtong, told the Post that licensing online gambling would "regulate underground gambling, bring it into the legal framework, and ensure proper taxation."
A two-week public consultation period on igaming will end on March 1.
Activists Concerned About Social Costs
Critics of the bill warn of the social harms that casino gambling could bring.
Tanakorn Homkred, Secretary-General of the Gambling Rehabilitation Foundation, said the bill is too vague.
"Amending the bill is like writing a blank check," he said. "Now I have doubts about the city council's legislative process. (It is still unclear) whether the laws made by the city council are strict or lenient."
Chittawan Chanagul, an economics lecturer at Bangkok Agricultural University, noted that casinos in developing countries are known to bring "crisis-level corruption."
She pointed out that the offshore gaming industry in the Philippines, known as POGO, is alleged to have led to "money laundering, murder, rape, and extortion." Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr banned the industry and ordered operators to leave the country.
Supporters Emphasize Financial Benefits
Of course, supporters talk up its potential benefits.
The Business Times of Singapore cited a report from Citigroup stating that a mature Thai gambling industry could generate up to $9.1 billion (310 billion Thai baht/7.2 billion British pounds/8.7 billion euros) in revenue annually. This would make Thailand the third-largest profitable gambling market globally, following Macau and Las Vegas.
The bill will return to the Thai cabinet for a second review on March 4. Afterward, it will be submitted to the parliament for further consideration.
