Last week, government sources confirmed that the draft of the Entertainment Complex Act draft is finished and will soon undergo a public hearing before passage. The act will allow casinos to operate in a select group of entertainment complexes in Thailand. 

 

This legislation has been a long time coming for proponents, with years of back-and-forth from interested parties. The final outcome, however, will not be a free-for-all (as was the case with the accidental legalization of weed). Only a few “entertainment complexes” will be permitted to operate under the legislation, and just five are currently potential sites for casinos—including two in Bangkok. 

 

Current contenders for the spaces include Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, MGM China Holdings Limited, and Hard Rock Cafe. Flagged stipulations have included a 30 year license with an initial license fee of B5 billion and an annual fee of B1 billion; entities must be registered in Thailand and have B10 billion in capital. Additionally, the government will require that these complexes not be wholly casinos, with at least four types of entertainment.

 

Not everyone is a fan of rolling the bones in Bangkok. A 2021 poll showed that “46.51% opposed legalized gambling due to moral and crime concerns.” In the halls of Parliament, opposition came earlier this year from Democrat Party MP Chaichana Detdacho who sarcastically stated that it would be better for “the government to support traditional [betting] games such as cow fighting, cockfighting, fish fighting, Hi-Lo board games and funeral card games." The MP cited the rise in crime and unregulated gambling that legalized casinos can bring. 

 

Pariyes Angkurakitti with the Thai Sang Thai Party claimed lax law enforcement could hinder efforts to regulate the casino industry. After all, you can’t have Thailand becoming known for raucous, poorly regulated nightlife. Heaven forfend.