The government’s proposed entertainment complex project, which includes a casino, is expected to attract predominantly Thai gamblers, making up to 90% of its clientele, according to the Finance Ministry.
The draft law for this entertainment complex is currently undergoing public hearings, as required by the constitution.
The initiative to establish a casino in Thailand is being led by a special House committee focused on studying an integrated entertainment complex. This committee is chaired by caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat. After the study was completed, the findings were submitted to the cabinet, prompting the ministry to draft the necessary legislation.
The study indicated that if a casino were to open in Thailand, most of the gamblers would be local residents. The study referenced data from Macau, which estimated that at least 10% of the country’s population, including both locals and foreigners, participate in casino gambling. Of this group, 90% are local residents from mainland China, and 10% are foreign tourists.
Using these figures, the House committee applied 2022 population statistics for those aged 18 to 75 who are not national welfare cardholders. The study estimated that 37 million Thai residents could potentially visit the casino.
In 2022, Thailand welcomed 11 million foreign tourists.
Based on the Macau data, the committee estimated that 10% of the target population (both locals and foreigners) would engage in casino gambling, translating to 4.8 million people in 2022.
Out of this group, 1.1 million would be foreigners, while 3.7 million would be Thai residents.
The estimate of 3.7 million Thai gamblers seems plausible, considering that in 2021, 4.48 million Thais engaged in card gambling, according to a Finance Ministry source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The source added that with the opening of casinos in Thailand, some Thai gamblers who currently travel to neighboring countries to gamble might choose to stay and gamble locally instead.
The 10% estimate is considered a minimum, as global data suggests that up to 26% of the world’s population participates in gambling.
According to the source, the draft law designates the prime minister as the enforcer of the legislation.
The Entertainment Complex Policy Committee, chaired by the prime minister, will have the authority to establish policies for managing the complex.
Companies seeking a concession to operate within the entertainment complex must be either limited or public limited companies with a registered capital of at least 10 billion baht.
These companies will need to obtain a license from the Entertainment Complex Policy Committee.
The license will be valid for 30 years and may be renewed for up to 10 years at a time.
The license fee is set at 5 billion baht per license, with an annual fee of 1 billion baht.
The entrance fee for Thai citizens to the casino will not exceed 5,000 baht per person, according to the source.
