Thailand House of Reps Forms Casino Committee

• Industry News
• 30 October 2023

The House of Representatives in Thailand voted shortly before the end of the current session to establish a new committee consisting of sixty members to investigate the problem of casino gaming in the Southeast Asian nation.Unlike a previous iteration tasked with researching the possibility of paving the way for integrated resorts in the nation, the newly formed committee is not the same. The new parliamentary group will look into ways to stimulate the Thai economy, such as legalizing gaming and providing entertainment, as well as taking action against unlicensed casinos.

The newest prime minister of the nation, Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party, along with members of several other political parties, voted in favor of the committee. The committee is given ninety days to finish its work.

The "Ad-hoc Committee on the Consideration of the Opening of Entertainment Complex, the Collection of Revenue and Taxes from the Legal Casino, the Prevention and the Solution of Illegal Gambling, the Widespread of Electric Gambling Machines, and the Online Gambling Industry" was established ten months ago. A report on the potential introduction of casinos to Thailand was filed by Gambling.

How the Casino Industry Might Develop in Thailand

Thailand is displaying indications that it is becoming more receptive to the concept of integrated resorts, despite not having the same gaming infrastructure as other countries in the Asia-Pacific area, such as Macau, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea.

Legislators suggested in 2021 that casino gaming might become more commonplace. In order to do this, a number of committees were established to investigate various topics, such as tax collection, the location of an integrated resort, luring investment, running the resort, and its effects on nearby communities.

According to The Bangkok Post, United Thai Nation Party MP Chatchawal Kong-udom, who has long supported the establishment of regulated gaming establishments in the nation, expressed his desire to see five entertainment districts—which might include casino resorts—spread out strategically throughout the nation.

Although Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for foreign tourists in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan is regarded as the "next big thing" in the gaming industry. This makes Thailand very appealing to international gaming operators. Lawmakers in that country might also be persuaded to take regulated casinos into consideration as a means of increasing government revenue and luring Thai gamblers who frequently swarm to other gaming markets in the area back home.

Thailand's Casinos May Bring in Well-Known Operators
Legislators in Thailand may or may not approve casinos and set up the required legal framework to make such establishments a reality. Nevertheless, if that occurs, some of the biggest names in the gaming industry are probably going to visit the nation.

The possibility of building an integrated resort there has already been expressed by Las Vegas Sands, and it's assumed that Galaxy Entertainment and MGM Resorts International share this sentiment. In the area, all three are well-established.

This also holds true for Wynn Resorts, Genting, and Melco Resorts & Entertainment, even though none of those businesses have made their evaluation of Thailand public.