Thailand May Legalize Casinos in IRs in a Few Years

Casino gaming may become a reality in Thailand in a few years. As reported by the Bangkok Post, the Asian country’s House of Representatives just approved a report that proposes the creation of integrated resorts with casinos.

Thailand Approved a Casino Proposal

The report in question is a comprehensive report that a special committee compiled in 2022. The report was presented to the House last week, where it was discussed for three hours. In the end, representatives cast their votes, greenlighting the proposal with almost unanimous approval. In total, 310 representatives voted for the report against 9 who voted against it.

The approval of this report marks the first steps toward the launch of integrated casino resorts in Thailand. Following this, specialists in the country will conduct further research, carefully examining the potential benefits and drawbacks of legalized casino gaming.

While casino resorts are still far from becoming a reality, the results of the vote show that the country is warming up toward the idea of launching integrated resorts with casinos. It is now up to the government to carefully examine the proposal and conduct further studies on the matter before proceeding to launch legislation that would bring casinos to Thailand.

Casinos Would Welcome People Above 21

According to the report, Thailand would benefit from the development of legal casinos that are a part of big entertainment complexes. The document proposes the creation of up to five casinos in integrated resorts across the country.

Bangkok and cities in the Eastern Economic Corridor, like Pattaya and Rayong, have been marked as potentially-suitable locations for these plans. Once open, the casinos would welcome tourists and locals aged 21 or older. As outlined in the proposal, visitors would have to prove that they have enough money to play without going bankrupt.

The report emphasizes that a casino should not take up more than five percent of the total floor within its respective integrated resort. Meanwhile, IRs should provide their visitors with a plethora of non-gambling facilities such as premium hospitality offerings, shopping centers and a selection of leisure facilities.

Pakornwut Udompipatsakul from the Move Forward Party and a member of the committee which compiled the report noted that the next government will likely be the one to decide whether casinos in IRs should become a reality.

Udompipatsakul noted that the legalization will likely take a few years and that public hearings and referendums must be organized before proceeding with the legalization and construction of casinos.