EXPERTS WORLD NEWS Thailand approves draft law to legalise casinos, gambling 4 weeks ago Samuel Post Views: 164 Thailand’s cabinet has approved a draft law that would legalise gambling and casinos, a move aimed at boosting tourism, jobs and investment, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday. Under the government’s plan, the law, which will be sent to parliament for deliberation, would see gambling take place in large-scale entertainment complexes. Casinos and most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand but soccer betting and underground gaming activities and lotteries are rife, with vast sums of money changing hands. Only some gambling is permitted, such as state-controlled horse races and on an official lottery. Neighbours, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar have benefited from large casino complexes and Thailand’s government has argued the absence of legal casinos means it is turning its back on revenue and not reaching its tourism potential. Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy and Thailand is forecasting record visitor numbers in the next few years. NDLEA nabs Thailand returnee with N3.1bn heroine “Legalisation will protect the public and would also generate more state revenue,” – Paetongtarn told reporters. Successive Thai governments have sought to legalise and regulate gambling to boost the economy but each attempt has faced pushback from conservatives in the Buddhist majority country. The latest move could see foreign visitor numbers grow 5% to 10% and tourism revenue increase by about 120 billion baht to 220 billion baht ($3.45 billion to $6.32 billion), said Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat. About 9,000 to 15,000 new jobs would be created, he added. A key advocate of legalising gambling has been billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn’s father, an influential figure in the ruling party. Source: chronicle.ng About Post Author Samuel I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. See author's posts SamuelI am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: horse races, legalisation, regulate gambling, Thsiland Continue Reading Previous The Nigerian Online Gambling Market 2025: Mobile Growth and Football FeverNext 48 real estate agencies and casinos flagged as high risk for money laundering More Stories EXPERTS GHANA Ghana’s Finance Minister moves to scrap betting tax in 2025 budget 23 hours ago Samuel ONLINE WORLD NEWS Pragmatic Play signs UK deal with Ivy Casino 23 hours ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS UGANDA Ugandan finance ministry officials charged with corruption, money laundering 2 days ago Samuel EGYPT EXPERTS African gaming revenues hit $1.8B in new record 2 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS ZAMBIA Airtel Zambia to pay up customers for poor network 2 days ago Samuel ONLINE WORLD NEWS The Growing Popularity of Sports Betting Platforms 3 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS HOT NEWS NIGERIA Why African Millennials Prefer Mobile Devices for Online Casino Gaming 3 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA How technology is shaping the future of online casino regulation in South Africa 6 days ago Samuel CASINO WORLD NEWS Novomatic praises ICE as an ‘outstanding success’ 6 days ago Samuel EXPERTS Africa’s Financial Sector Chases Digital Dreams In High Stakes Race 7 days ago Szarlot ONLINE WORLD NEWS Pragmatic Play to attend and sponsor SBC Summit Rio 2025 1 week ago Iwo Bulski ONLINE WORLD NEWS Pavilion88: An Asian Gaming Platform Gaining Global Attention 1 week ago Samuel Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.