Thailand Moves Forward with Gambling, Confirms Four Casino Host Provinces

Thailand’s casino momentum continues as the country unveiled the four provinces, which would host its first casinos. This announcement follows the initial drafting of the country’s gambling law in January.

Thailand Is Bullish on Casinos

Although Thailand has historically been fairly conservative when it comes to games of chance, the undeniable potential of integrated resorts has piqued the government’s interest. Lawmakers were attracted by the prospects of bolstering the tourism sector and channeling more visitors toward the country.

The $15 billion casino push seeks to make Thailand competitive with other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Singapore and the Philippines. Casino proponents are also optimistic that Thailand may beat Japan to it and launch its first resort before the opening of the Osaka IR.

In addition to a tourism boost, integrated resorts would create an estimated 40K jobs and bolster the GDP.

While the public’s opinion on casinos has remained mixed, lawmakers have made quick and great strides toward the creating of a local casino framework.

The Four Casino Host Provinces Were Confirmed

Now, Nikom Boonwiset, vice chairman of the special committee responsible for Thailand’s casino push, announced that the provinces that will host the country’s inaugural casinos will be the following:

• Bangkok
• Chiang Mai
• Chonburi
• Phuket

Boonwiset explained that the committee selected these locations because of their strong appeal among tourists and locals alike.

Thailand’s resorts will be multi-purpose properties that are not all about gaming. According to the government’s plans, less than a tenth of the total resort area would be committed to casinos. The rest would include hotel rooms, entertainment facilities, shopping districts and sports stadiums.

Not Everyone Is on Board

Considering the strong opposition to the government’s casino plans, citizens have pushed back against the initiative. The Stop Gambling Foundation has been among the main opponents of integrated resorts in the country, arguing that they would foster crime and gambling addiction.

Gambling skeptics have been protesting against the government’s warming up toward gambling, hoping that their leaders will change their minds.

Proxy Gaming Is a No-Go

In the meantime, Thailand’s Council of State recently finalized a study on the amended casino bill. The study outlined a number of recommendations, including the prohibition of “online gambling and live-streaming of gambling activities from the casino to prevent people outside the casino from participating.”

Proxy gaming is a notorious practice where a person would wager on behalf of someone else. This practice undermines the integrity of gaming markets, creating significant money-laundering vulnerabilities.

Banning proxy gaming would also curb any attempts to create “secondary markets” built around the regulated gambling in the country.

Other things that were discussed included whether locals should be allowed to gamble or not.