The National Institute of Development Administration has issued a warning over the appetite of Thailand’s citizens for gambling legislation.
The survey reported that 59% of those polled currently oppose both entertainment complexes and casinos, which are set for governmental approval following the progress of a regulatory bill at the start of the year.
On the other hand, 29% of those surveyed are in full support of the entertainment and gambling venues.
Numbers are similar when it comes to opposition of online casinos, with 58% of those polled completely opposing an iGaming bill.
1,310 people were surveyed in the poll according to the The National Institute of Development Administration, as it sought to gain a deeper understanding of the sentiment towards gambling from Thailand’s citizens.
Heading into the new year, regulatory developments have continued at a strong pace as the integrated resorts bill has been escalated.
Key to the bill being put forward is balance, with it aiming to ensure protection for players most at risk of problem gambling, whilst also providing a significant benefit to the country’s economy.
The developments may also be seen as crucial to raising the ceiling on the country’s tourism sector, as the venues elevate entertainment opportunities in Thailand.
A variable which is still yet to be determined when it comes to Thailand’s casino ecosystem is the location of the casinos. However, it has been heavily reported that Bangkok will be home to at least one of the venues.
Meanwhile 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.
Being the father of the current PM, his political influence shouldn’t be understated. He cited the black market already being prevalent in Thailand, as he underpinned the potential of diverting the users towards a regulated market that is safer and also benefits the economy.
“Online gambling has two to four million Thai users with savings of 300bn baht and gains and losses of about 500bn per year.
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”.
