Thailand is moving quickly to examine and pass a law that will make it legal for the country to build its first casino resorts
The arrival of Vegas-style casino resorts in Thailand is expected before long, as final touches are applied and due process is followed. Yet, while the government is working around the clock to pave the way for casino legalization, popular opposition has been mounting in the Southeast Asian nation.
Popular Opposition Against Gambling Legalization
According to Reuters, which did the original reporting, most Thais are opposed to plans to legalize casinos, which comes with the legalization of online gambling, even though the promises for the country seem to abound. Thailand could boost its tourism, become a more desirable regional destination for well-heeled foreigners, and generally enjoy a steady economic windfall.
These promises, however, have fallen on deaf ears with regular Thais who fear that the illnesses that gambling legalization would usher in would far outweigh the potential benefits. An estimated 69% of all respondents to a poll by the country’s National Institute of Development Administration oppose the legalization of online gambling, which is seen as the government’s most contentious issue.
Another 59% argue that casino resorts must not be made a reality in the country. However, Thailand is already behind many regional neighbors, with Cambodia, Singapore and the Philippines, along with Myanmar and Laos all following a path of adopting casino resorts and offering them as part of their tourist experience.
Thai politicians fear that failure to act now, and possibly ahead of an incoming integrated resort in Japan, will sap the country’s ability to ever boost its tourism industry through the addition of world-class gambling options. Even the Middle East is getting casinos, some argue.
Casinos Happening in Thailand One Way or Another
Presently, the proposed law is with the Council of State, an advisory body charged with revising draft laws and offering recommendations that could make the potential implementation better aligned with existing statutes in the country. The advisory body has until the end of February or a little more to complete its review and issue a recommendation.
At the same time, Thailand has been busy going after crime inside the country. Two South Koreans were arrested over their involvement in illegal gambling websites. The two South Korean nationals were system administrators of the websites that targeted mostly South Korean players.
