Thai Casino Momentum Ramps Up But So Does the Opposition

Thailand has been steadily heading toward a future where casino gaming is legal and where the country stands proudly as one of Southeast Asia’s big gaming hubs. However, not everyone has been happy about the government’s directions as some have cited significant concerns with the legalization of casino gaming.

Opponents Call for Referendum

Thai casino gaming opponents are now calling for a referendum, hoping to stutter the government’s continued efforts to legalize casino gaming. The Stop Gambling Foundation of Thailand continues to gain traction, attracting more and more supporters by the day. It now claims that the opposition to Vegas-style resorts is sufficient to trigger a referendum.

The foundation currently has the backing of some 200 local and national organizations and has reportedly collected over 50K signatures petitioning to stop casino gaming. This figure notably passes the threshold required for a referendum.

As a result, the Electoral Commission will now proceed to verify the signatures and forward the referendum call to the PM, if at least 50,000 signatures are verified.

According to a report by the Bangkok Post, Thanakorn Khomkrit from the Stop Gambling Foundation believes that a referendum is the way to go since it would align the government’s vision with the will of the people.

Thailand Should Thread More Lightly, Some Say

The casino opponents’ arguments vary, with some having moral reservations and others questioning whether Thailand has the regulatory capabilities to ensure gambling doesn’t spur crime and fraud.

Since 1935, Thailand has solely allowed betting on horse races, meaning that it lacks certain experience required to run large-scale gambling operations, some opponents argued. They have questioned the country’s rushed casino framework and have questioned PM Shinawatra’s vision of how gaming should be conducted.

Shinawatra, on the other hand, has insisted that Thailand is missing out on a lot of money by not allowing casino gaming. She and other supporters of Vegas-style resorts have argued that the country needs this extra boost and have even optimistically suggested that Thailand’s first resort could go live before the MGM Osaka resort in Japan.

While Shinawatra seems to rely on an explosive casino launch, critics seem to favor the approach of Singapore, which had consulted casino gaming for years before actually making it a reality. Similarly, Japan underwent lengthy negotiations with MGM Resorts, seeking to negotiate the best deal possible.

As a result, opponents have suggested that Shinawatra is not looking at the entire picture and is only cherry-picking the aspects of foreign models that serve her agenda while ignoring those that do not.