The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) recently announced that "poker" has been officially recognized as a sport. This decision opens new prospects for Thailand to host international poker tournaments, develop sports tourism, and related industries. The decision was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Suriya, with the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Surawong, and the Director-General of the Sports Authority, Konsak, among other senior officials attending the meeting. During the meeting, American football was also granted official sports status.
In its statement, SAT emphasized that although poker is often associated with gambling in the public eye, the recognition is solely for its "intellectual competition" aspect. Poker competitions require players to have mental resilience, analytical judgment, and strategic planning, similar to traditional sports like chess and bridge. SAT stated, "This will provide a new development path for Thai athletes and also help to establish Thailand as an international sports tourism center."
The agency further noted that poker activities must be strictly limited to competitive and non-profit areas, with any form of gambling strictly prohibited.
Meanwhile, the approval of American football aligns with international trends. The sport has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee and SportAccord and will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Thailand's men's flag football team is currently ranked fifth in the world and won a gold medal at the 2014 Phuket Asian Beach Games. The "naturalization" of these two sports marks an increasingly open and diverse Thai sports policy.
