Thailand’s casino odds looking up as House Committee wraps study

The potential of casino legalisation in Thailand took a significant step forward with the House Committee on casino legalisation concluding its comprehensive study on the matter. Senior figures from the Pheu Thai Party have revealed that the study’s findings will be presented to parliament in the coming week.

The special House Committee, chaired by Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, completed a thorough investigation into the feasibility of legalising casinos in the country. Amornvivat informed on Tuesday that their study, packed with detailed information, is now ready to be presented.

The progression of this legalisation will depend on the House’s acceptance of the study. If approved, the next step will involve forwarding the study to the Cabinet for further approval and eventual implementation.

The House Committee’s Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party, Sorawong Thienthong, confirmed the approaching completion of their study. He is set to propose the study to the House next week. Thienthong emphasised the extensive nature of the study, which could potentially lead to substantial revenue generation for the country, reported Bangkok Post.

“If this is realised, it could generate huge revenue for the country. What we emphasise is entertainment complexes. Casinos would be a small part of such complexes.”

The potential legalisation of casinos would place operators under the obligation to meet the total investment. The government, in turn, would issue licences, levy taxes, and set specific conditions regarding the location of the complexes. According to Thienthong, these complexes must not be located adjacent to Bangkok.

Only last month the Thai cyber police successfully dismantled two major online gambling networks, confiscating over 18 million baht (US$498,000) in cash and revealing a staggering 300 million baht (US$8,296,000) monthly circulation. The crackdown occurred on February 15, under the operation of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

The announcement revealed the arrest of 26 individuals linked to the gambling websites ramruy.net and pok9.com.