Amid rising protests, the Thailand government has hit pause on its ballyhooed Entertainment Complex bill. PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra and allies had hoped to speed the bill through legislative approvals.
The bill, which would introduce five casino resorts in tourism hotspots across Thailand, originally was to have returned to the cabinet for final approval on 4 March. That deadline was later pushed to 11 March. Proponents sought speedy passage of the bill to attract foreign investment and increase tax revenue.
Entertainment complexes with gaming in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket could make Thailand a major player in the global gaming industry. Estimated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of up to 308 trillion baht (£7 billion/€8.36 billion/$9.1 billion) per year would make Thailand the world’s third-largest market after Macau and Las Vegas.
That’s got major gaming operators salivating. Melco Resorts & Entertainment has already opened a Bangkok office. Others who have signalled their interest include Galaxy Entertainment Group, Genting Singapore, MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts and the Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Thailand originally hoped to open the first resorts by 2029, before MGM opens Japan’s first integrated resort complex in Osaka.
Public protests and petitions
But opposition to legal casinos, including a series of public protests, apparently has persuaded lawmakers to give it more time.
Earlier this month, demonstrators flooded the streets, carrying signs and chanting anti-casino slogans. They included members of the Thai Pakdee Party, the People and Student Network for the Reform of Thailand, the People’s Center to Protect the Institution, and the resistance group Dhamma Army.
They said they had sent a petition with 100,000 signatures to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, demanding the government reconsider its casino plan.
More protests erupted outside the Government House yesterday (March 11) led by former “red shirt” political activist Jatuporn Prompan, reported the Bangkok Post.
“People who love the country must rise up and unite to fight the legalisation of casinos and online gambling,” Jatuporn told the Post last week. “This will ruin our nation and weaken our people.”
Mixed messages on player protection
The government has waffled on ways to prevent local gamblers from getting in over their heads.
The legislation currently includes an entry requirement for Thailand nationals of 5,000 baht. Lawmakers later tacked on a clause mandating that Thai gamblers have 50 million baht in savings before they could gamble at a casino. They purportedly withdrew the millionaire clause, then said it remains as part of the bill for further consideration.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra told reporters she wants to hear “the opinions of all stakeholders” about the bill.
“There is no need to expedite [the bill’s] return to the cabinet,” she said. “Let all issues be thoroughly examined first … because Thailand has never had casinos before.”
Is Paetongtarn playing it safe?
Paetongtarn, who faces a no-confidence vote later this month, is treading carefully around the controversial casino bill.
The opposition People’s Party claims the prime minister is inexperienced, ineffective, and unduly influenced by her father, former Thailand PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, incidentally, supports legal casinos as well as online gambling.
The no-confidence motion is already having a negative ripple effect. China Galaxy Securities has just downgraded its Thailand Stock Exchange 2025 earnings forecast, citing “political volatility” ahead of the 24 March vote.
Ben Lee, of IGamiX Management Consulting, told Macau Business, “It’s always a good idea to have consensus on a potentially divisive issue such as casinos. Japan is a prime example of what happens when a ruling party tries to push through gaming legislation without achieving consensus.”
Casinos a ‘dead-end’ measure?
An editorial in yesterday’s Bangkok Post said the ruling Pheu Thai Party must rally public support before it can proceed with entertainment complex legislation.
“(I)ntense opposition has arisen” to the bill, the editorial stated.
“At issue is whether the Thai economy is at a dead end and needs to resort to casino legalisation, which poses social risks and could undermine government stability given the widespread opposition.”
The bill is expected to go to the parliament for approval before the legislative session ends in April.
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