Thai Fiscal Policy Office issues 12-point statement backing casino bill
The Fiscal Policy Office of the Finance Ministry claims the bill would benefit the country more than it would cause harm.
Thailand.- The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) of the Finance Ministry has released a 12-point statement supporting the bill to legalise casino resorts in the country. The move is a response to criticism from academics, religious organisations and civil society groups, who argue that the legalisation of casinos could lead to an increase in gambling harm.
The FPO claims legislation would benefit the country more than it would cause harm. Among the key points raised, the FPO argues that new entertainment complexes will help revive Thailand’s tourism industry, which has struggled to recover since the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to The Nation, authorities note that entertainment complexes would include a variety of attractions beyond casinos, such as shopping malls, amusement parks, hotels, and sports facilities. This aligns with prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra‘s policy goals, which include the promotion of man-made tourist attractions such as water parks, amusement parks, shopping malls, and entertainment complexes.
According to the FPO, the bill, if passed, would bring casinos into a regulated and transparent framework, allowing the state to monitor operations and generate tax revenue and creating new investment and jobs. In another point in defence of casino legalisation, the FPO argues that the creation of entertainment complexes is likely to stimulate local property development and nearby economies.
Analysts at Citigroup have forecast that casinos in Thailand could generate US$1.91bn annually in gross gaming revenue (GGR). That would surpass the GGR of Singapore’s two casinos and place Thailand only behind Macau and Las Vegas. According to the FPO, a portion of the revenue would be allocated to tackle gambling harm-related issues.
The proposed law also includes various controls. Under 20s would be prohibited from entering casinos, and Thais wanting to access a casino would be required to pay a fee of THB5,000 (US$150) and show proof of at least THB50m (US$1.5m) in fixed deposits. A policy panel led by the prime minister and a regulatory agency would oversee the industry.
100 civil society groups plan legal action against casino bill
A group of about 100 civil society organisations plans to take legal action against the bill to legalise casinos in the country. The group, which includes religious, youth, family, and education organisations, issued a statement warning about the negative effects of legalising casinos and criticising the cabinet’s decision to approve the bill a day after the prime minister faced a no-confidence debate in parliament. It claimed the cabinet rushed the approval and ignored the concerns of lawmakers, academics and the public.
The group’s concerns include unclear guidelines about how many entertainment-casino complexes can be built, where they can be located, their sizes and their target audiences. An online survey conducted by the Ministry of Finance from February 28 to March 14 found that among 70,000 people, 80 per cent back the country’s proposed casino legislation. However, a more recent poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) showed that many Thais have concerns about possible negative impacts.
