Thailand takes step towards legal casinos

Thailand’s House of Representatives has approved a report on the proposal to set up casinos in the nation, paving the way for a final decision within “two or three years.”

According to the Bangkok Post, the nation’s MPs spent two and half hours debating the proposal, based on the report by a special committee set up in December of 2021.

The committee dovetailed a massive majority vote in the House in favor of evaluating the economic possibilities for tourist attraction by casinos, weighed against the potential issues that could arise out of their establishment in the nation.

One committee member noted that the report, which laid out both sides of the issue, was not directly calling for the nation to set up legalised gambling, noting that positive and negative effects had to be comprehensively evaluated before a decision was made.

The official called for public hearings and “even a referendum among locals to be organised,” notes the publication.

The call for referendum follows a similar move in Japan, which has stalled the implementation of integrated resorts in the nation and even resulted in major potential players, who had already invested large sums into potential development, pulling out of their projected projects entirely.

Source: Asia Gaming Brief