Marking a groundbreaking move toward Thailand’s trials to address the highly-debated topic of gambling legalization, the Finance Ministry will take the lead on an important study exploring the potential legalization of casino gaming. 

16 Additional Agencies to Consider the Study

As ordered by way of an “urgent letter” sent by the Secretariat of the Cabinet at the start of the week, the Finance Ministry will thoroughly examine the House of Representatives study alongside 16 other agencies, which it will also lead. 

The list will include the National Economic and Social Development Council, the Office of the Council of State, the Royal Thai Police, and the National Office of Buddhism.

Several ministries will also be consulted, including Social Development and Human Security, Tourism and Sports, Justice, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Higher Education Science Research and Innovation, Transport, Culture, Labour, Public Health, Industry, and Education.

According to English-language outlet The Nation, the Secretariat of the Cabinet gave the Ministry 30 days to send its recommendations.

IAG reports say that the casino study received approval from the cabinet a week ago after the House passed it at the end of March. 

Recommended 17% Tax on GGR

The casino study advises a 17% tax should be placed on gross gaming revenue. This would turn it into one of the lowest tax regimes in the area. 

Licenses would be valid for 20 years at first, with the possibility to renew them every five years. 

Locals would need to pay an entry levy of an amount that has yet to be determined. 

Larger casino complexes would require minimum investments of $2.7 billion.

Last week, when the cabinet endorsed the study, it also recommended a series of joint investments between private operators and the Thai government, similar to Macau’s concession model. 

The cabinet also suggested that integrated resorts should be located near international airports for the comfort of international visitors.

According to a note from Maybank, the country might see its first integrated resort open in 2029. 

This would translate to Thailand legalizing casino gaming before Japan where MGM Resorts International’s $10 billion integrated resort development in Osaka is expected to be completed in 2023.

At the start of April, Thailand announced it blocked over 25,000 online gambling platforms since October 2023, in an ongoing crackdown on unlicensed online gambling. 

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As the cricketing world gears up for the much-awaited Asia Cup and the Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken a step to curb the promotion of online gambling and betting platforms. The ministry has released a set of new guidelines that sternly warn media entities, online advertising intermediaries, and social media platforms to abstain from displaying any form of advertisements or promotional content related to online gambling. 

Government Raises Alarm Over Surge in Betting Ads During Major Sporting Events

The Ministry’s advisory emphasizes the recurring trend of a surge in promotions for betting and gambling platforms during major sporting events, notably cricket tournaments. The government has expressed concern over the potential repercussions of these advertisements, citing instances of money laundering networks that have been connected to such activities. 

A recent action by the government against agents involved in collecting funds from gambling apps and channeling them out of the country and also blocking numerous gambling apps has brought these issues to the forefront. The Ministry believes that these mechanisms pose a severe financial and socio-economic risk, especially to the younger demographic, thereby jeopardizing the country’s overall financial security.

In light of previous advisories issued in June and October 2022, as well as in April preceding the Indian Premier League (IPL), the government reiterates the illegality of betting and gambling activities and their promotion through any media platform. Such promotions have been deemed contrary to various statutes, including the Consumer Protection Act and the Press Council Act. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules have also been invoked, specifically cautioning against content that promotes online games that are not permissible under the law.

The Ministry’s directive has received support from officials who stress that non-compliance could result in legal action taken by the government under relevant statutes. The advisory aims to prevent these promotions from exploiting the popularity of cricket and major sporting events, thereby protecting the financial interests and security of the nation. 

With the Asia Cup and the ICC ODI World Cup just around the corner, the government has implored all stakeholders in the media industry to uphold these guidelines and prevent the dissemination of content that promotes illegal gambling and betting platforms.

In January this year, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology introduced draft online gaming rules as part of the Indian Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, aiming to regulate the growing online gaming industry due to concerns over gambling addiction, particularly among minors.

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