Legislative plans from the opposition Palang Pracharath Party could cause friction in the progress of Thailand’s integrated resorts casino bill.
A report by the Bangkok Post outlined that this is likely to be a central issue as the party pursues a no-confidence debate against the government.
The opposition party has urged stakeholders to be aware of the increased power that would be granted to the government and the Prime Minister as a result of the new bill.
Opposition Deputy leader, Chaimongkol Chairop, questioned whether the government could find other sources to generate revenue, as the bill’s development would “taint and damage” the country.
Furthermore, the Bangkok Post also detailed that the opposition party has taken issue with the bill’s focus on gambling venues being located in tourism hubs, citing that this will harm the overall state of Thai tourism and potentially increase crime.
It is yet to be decided where the integrated resort licenses will be handed out, but it is anticipated there will be at least one venue in Bangkok. However, reports suggest that the appetite for gambling legislation among the Thai public is declining.
The National Institute of Development Administration revealed a survey, which detailed that 59% of those polled currently oppose both entertainment complexes and casinos. Meanwhile, 29% of those surveyed are in full support of the entertainment and gambling venues.
Stats are similar when it comes to opposition to online casinos, with 58% of those polled completely opposing an iGaming bill. The data comes from a survey of 1,310 people conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration, which sought to gain a deeper understanding of Thai sentiment towards gambling.
Heading into the new year, regulatory developments have continued at a strong pace as the integrated resorts bill has been escalated.
At the heart of the bill’s development is the aim of ensuring protection for players most at risk of problem gambling, while also providing a significant benefit to the country’s economy.
It seems this also could be extended to the online space, with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expressing eagerness over the potential economic benefits of online gambling.
“Online gambling has two to four million Thai users with savings of 300bn baht and gains and losses of about 500bn per year,” he said.
Pontificating over just how much money the industry could generate, he emphasised that “if we can tax 20% we would get more than 100bn per year”.
