When Will Thailand Legalize Gambling?
Thailand could be the next Asian country to allow bettors to gamble freely. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that he is ready to open dialogue concerning the legalization of gambling in the land of smiles even though he disapproves of gambling. The Prime Minister will likely decide to legalize gambling before the end of 2021. Gambling in Thailand would be nice but it is not as good as betting in the comfort of your own home in an online casino like cookiecasino.online.
Currently, Thailand is just one of the three, along with Malaysia and Brunei, Southeast Asian countries where gambling is banned.
Thailand has the potential to be a gambling mecca due to the nation being already one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations (40 million arrivals per year) and having a large local population who love to gamble (70 million people, 20th most populous country). It is estimated half of Thailand’s population are already gambling illegally.
Casino operators have been eying up Thailand as a profitable gambling destination for years. In 2015 the US casino group Las Vegas Sands Corp proposed building a mega casino in Bangkok, but their proposal was rejected, and gambling in Thailand remained illegal. However, it looks like within a few years, Bangkok will be home to numerous casinos.
Why Is Thailand Considering Legalizing Gambling?
The Thai Prime Minister has had a change of heart concerning his stance on gambling after it was revealed that the latest Coronavirus in Bangkok was linked to illegal gambling clubs.
The Prime Minister has taken a different strategy. Instead of enforcing tougher anti-gambling laws, he has decided to hear all perspectives, including positive, before deciding on the future legality of betting.
After the new Coronavirus outbreak, Prayut Chan-o-cha has established a 10-member committee to review the procedures used by state officials to deal with illegal gambling. One particular method they are closely looking at is legalization to reduce organized crime and public health hazards.
Thai police officers are also under investigation for taking bribes and allowing illegal gambling dens to continue in Bangkok.
Anti-gambling activists in Thailand have argued that legalization will not eliminate the gambling problem. Instead, it will just allow more Thais to easily squander their money. However, legalized gamble will provide a huge boost to the Thai economy, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in additional tax revenue.
While legalizing gamble may do wonders for the Thai economy, it could seriously impact neighbouring countries Myanmar and Laos. The Thai border is dotted with numerous casinos that depend on Thai tourists who travel strictly to gamble. These casinos may go bankrupt if Thais no longer have to leave their country to get their gambling fix.
