Thailand Has Blocked 25,000+ Online Gambling Websites Since October

Thailand continues its crackdown on unlicensed online gambling as discussions around the potential legalization of casino gaming continue. The country introduced a new policy that recognizes illegal gambling operations as serious economic crimes.

The policy was unveiled yesterday by deputy government spokesperson Kanika Aunjit. According to her, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society vows to work hard to investigate, suspend, restrict and block illegal providers of online gambling.

According to PM Srettha Thavisin, online gambling is especially dangerous because it not only harms the economy but also poses dangers to public health. The availability of gambling to young people and recent instances of identity theft have underscored the need for decisive action.

Kanika asked Thai people not to gamble online and not to trust the promises of online operators. She explained that the government is bullish on protecting citizens from the dangers of unlicensed gambling and asked people not to be tempted by online gambling profits.

Thailand Wants to Protect Its Citizens from Illegal Operators

In line with its promise to crack down on online gambling, the Thai government continues to wage a war on offshore operators. Between October 1 and March 5, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society suspended over 60,681 units of inappropriate information and blocked over 25,571 websites related to online gambling.

Thailand, which strictly prohibits online gambling, has strict penalties for violators. Those who breach the local rules risk a fine of between 20,000 and 200,000 baht and up to ten years in prison. People who’ve encouraged others to gamble, on the other hand, risk a fine of 2,000 baht and up to two years in prison.

Thailand remains firmly opposed to online gambling and the dangers the illegal betting market poses to the local economy and Thai society as a whole.

In the meantime, Thailand is warming up to the idea of launching casino gaming. A measure that would allow for the construction of resorts featuring casinos was passed by a landslide by Thailand’s House of Representatives last week.

According to experts, Thailand may even outrun Japan and launch its first casino before the official opening of MGM Resorts’ integrated resort in Osaka.