Editor
A bill ensuring legal casino operations in Thailand has been hit with a potential roadblock. A Thai senate special committee urged the government to hold a public referendum, citing governance and constitutional concerns over the controversial bill.
The Senate’s special committee overseeing the bill has formed two dedicated subcommittees to investigate the legislation’s potential societal and economic implications thoroughly. They aim to produce detailed findings ahead of the bill’s expected parliamentary introduction in early July.
The country is moving toward allowing casinos, which has caught the ire of the special committee. They worry that the Thai government will allow full-scale casino operations under the entertainment development label and let the casinos become more potent than intended.
The special committee invited the government to clarify its stance on casino development and the bill that would allow it. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will discuss the stance on June 5th. He was unavailable for the most recent hearing as he was on official duty in Vietnam.
The potential development sites for a casino do not currently have a public bidding process, environmental assessments, or community hearings, which the committee wishes to change.
There has been particular focus on Thailand regarding casino development, thanks to the increase in poker interest in the country following the announcement of WPT Thailand, which is set to be held in 2025. This confirmed casino bill could open the door to other poker events in Thailand, including the Asian Poker Tour (APT), which has had successful events in the region, such as APT Manila.
