National—
At 8:10 PM, on March 28th, 2024, the Thai House of Parliament voted to agree on deliberation on the study of opening an Entertainment Complex, which would include a legal casino, to tackle illegal gambling and boost the national economy in a vote of 253 to 0 with 4 abstentions.
Previously, the Thai standing committee considered opening a full-service entertainment complex aimed at tackling illegal gambling and boosting the national economy. The study was forwarded to the Thai House of Parliament for further deliberation.
The legalization proposal was for casino-designated zones in entertainment complexes that were within 100 kilometers of Don Mueang Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and U-tapao Airport, in 17 provinces in central and east Thailand, 22 provinces in main tourist attractions, and 22 provinces on the Thai border, according to Thai national media.
Earlier in the same day, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin publicly mentioned the Entertainment Complex bill which included legal operating casinos in Thailand. He reportedly agreed the study of the entertainment complex included various activities and services, not just the legalization of casinos.
Srettha further added that it would legalize underground gambling with strict security measures, appropriateness, and proper taxation. Admittedly, Srettha told the public that illegal gambling dens secretly operated.
However, Srettha reportedly stated that the Entertainment Complex bill might take time and process to deliberate before enacting the regulations and laws. The Thai government would tackle illegal gambling activities in the meantime, remarked Srettha.
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