Thai academics call for referendum on casino bill
Academics have raised concerns over corruption, monopolies and gambling harm.
Thailand.- A group of academics have suggested that the government should conduct a referendum on the country’s proposed casino legislation.
D. Nonarit Bisonyabut, a researcher from the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI); Nualnoi Treerat, director of Chulalongkorn University’s Centre for Gambling Studies; Chittawan Chanakul, a lecturer at Thammasat University, and Thanakorn Komkrit, secretary-general of the Stop Gambling Foundation, took part in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Thai language newspaper Krungthep Turakij.
Bisonyabut raised concerns about corruption and money laundering and warned that granting licences to selected businesses could lead to a monopoly and exploitation. He suggested that the government prepare a report on how it intends to address public concerns.
Treerat said that although the casino bill is based on Singapore’s model, Thailand has not adopted Singapore’s measures to reduce societal risks. She said there was no support for people with gambling-harm-related issues and called for limited access for certain visitors.
Chanakul argued that effective governance and low levels of corruption were crucial for a country seeking to allow casinos. She noted Thailand’s drop to 107th place in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index and also cited studies showing that gambling can reduce economic growth by 1 per cent and increase crime rates. Chittawan suggested that setting a minimum licence fee of THB5bn could reduce corruption risks but called for a referendum to understand public opinion.
Komkrit criticised the lack of clear regulations on credit provision to gamblers, the absence of a regulatory body to manage societal impacts and insufficient public participation. He suggested the Gambling Act to should be updated.
