The Thai government’s proposal to legalize casinos has garnered strong support from the public, with a significant majority expressing approval during a recent hearing, based on the hearing outcome from a government’s poll. Still, officials indicated they are considering modifications to make it easier for locals to access these legal gambling venues.
Approximately 80% of participants agreed with the draft legislation aimed at introducing casinos within large entertainment complexes. Over 70,000 individuals provided feedback during the public consultation period between February 28 and March 14, as organized by Thailand’s Finance Ministry.
Thailand, heavily reliant on tourism, plans to enact this contentious casino legislation by 2025 to boost foreign investments and increase tax revenues. The initiative also aims to regulate illicit gambling operations across the country.
However, criticism from opposition parties and advocacy groups persist, warning that such a move might exacerbate gambling addiction issues and primarily benefit major corporations and international businesses.
Amid these developments, global gaming giants have shown keen interest in entering the Thai market. Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. and MGM Resorts International are reportedly exploring opportunities in Thailand to offset uncertainties in Macau. Meanwhile, Las Vegas Sands Corp. has also expressed interest in expanding its footprint to the Southeast Asian tourism hub.
However, the topic of establishing an entertainment complex in Thailand is currently being debated at the censure in the Thai parliament held between 24-25 March 2025.
It has been months that the opposition has strongly asserted that regardless of any criteria set in place regarding the entertainment complex project, especially the casinos, there is no guarantee that it will not adversely impact Thai society. There are examples of failed countries that have had to impose strict controls, such as Macau, which has become a hub for money laundering, and the Philippines, which has turned into a breeding ground for crime.
The government has presented the success stories of integrated entertainment complexes in neighboring countries, which clearly demonstrate significant economic benefits. For instance, Macau generates 1.2 trillion baht annually from such complexes, Singapore earns 430 billion baht, South Korea brings in 320 billion baht, the Philippines generates 220 billion baht, and Vietnam earns 180 billion baht per year.
Studies indicate that the market size reached 54 trillion baht in 2022, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7%. Furthermore, four out of the seven top-earning countries from integrated entertainment complexes are in Southeast Asia (SEA), reflecting a strong business trend in the region.
The economic outcomes observed from Singapore’s case study include a GDP increase of 1-2%, foreign investment of 300 billion baht, an increase in tax revenue by 440 billion baht, and a tourism growth rate of 47% between 2010 and 2023. Additionally, 20,000 jobs were created directly in the Entertainment Complex sector. Moreover, there is further potential for job creation in related areas such as management, public transportation, and more.
However, academics have pointed to problems from the outset. The government still lacks conclusive plans for several significant actions. According to a particular academic, the biggest problem with drafting the government’s casino legislation is that it was formulated without a Feasibility Study of the project. There was no systematic analysis of the regional casino market, such as market size within the region, weaknesses, strengths, or the standing of countries with existing casino services.
There has not been any analysis of gamblers’ behaviors, despite the intention to attract tourists through casinos to compete against already established regional countries. There is an absence of in-depth regional casino business market analysis. The report lacks conclusions about the scale of the casino operations—how many operators there should be, and what exact annual revenue should be expected for the state, beyond arbitrary multi-billion figures.
In late January, NIDA Poll revealed that 59.16% out of 1,310 participants were against the entertainment complex and casino, while 28.93% agreed.
