Thailand Casino Bill Folded, Attractive Market Opportunity Remains on Hold
Posted on: July 7, 2025, 09:52h.
Last updated on: July 7, 2025, 09:58h.
- Thailand’s casino bill has been ditched
- The Entertainment Complex Bill sought to legalize five casinos
- Thailand’s government is in turmoil
Thailand won’t become home to legal casinos anytime soon after the government announced it would fold on legislation to authorize slot machines and live-dealer table games.
On Monday, Pheu Thai MP Visuth Chainaroon, who is the controlling party’s government whip in the House of Representatives, conceded that the Entertainment Complex Bill is being put aside. The revelation comes as the government is in turmoil following Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra being suspended from her duties as an ethics probe into her June 15 telephone call with a Cambodian official plays out.
Shinawatra’s controversial remarks regarding the Thai military prompted the Bhumjaithai Party to sever ties with the government. The party’s exit reduced the Pheu Thai government’s majority by 69 seats in the 500-person chamber.
The opposition, led by the People’s Party and now Bhumjaithai, has aligned with public polling that suggests the liberalization of casino gambling isn’t wanted.
We’re not pulling it out of fear or anything,” Visuth claimed in remarks to reporters, as first reported by Reuters. “We’d just like to communicate with the people first on the issue and clear any lingering doubts.”
The Entertainment Complex Bill sought to authorize five casinos, with one each in Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, and two in Bangkok.
Market Opportunity Defeated
As Thailand mulled casinos, with supporters saying such resorts could return Thai tourism to pre-COVID-19 levels, several major gaming operators expressed interest.
Notable names that were likely to consider a play in Thailand included Las Vegas-based Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, and Wynn Resorts. All three are heavily invested in China’s Macau, a market that has recently undergone great change that has made hosting high rollers more difficult.
Hong Kong-based Melco Resorts, another Macau gaming license holder, also expressed its intent to review an investment in Thailand. Melco is amid an expansion phase, with recent projects in Cyprus and Sri Lanka.
Malaysia-based Genting Group, best known in the global gaming industry for its Resorts World Sentosa property in Singapore, was also an odds-on favorite for an integrated resort property in Thailand. Galaxy Entertainment, yet another player in Macau, possibly looking to diversify with further investments, additionally showed interest.
PM Suspension
Thailand’s judiciary has been accused of possessing too much power. The Constitutional Court’s decision to suspend Shinawatra is the latest example, critics say.
The court’s powers date back to the modern Thai nation’s formation almost a century ago. Many opponents of the courts’ powers say the judicial branch of the constitutional monarchy is largely designed to protect the monarchy.
Since June 1932, the government has undergone 13 coups, with such takeovers transitioning the nation back and forth from democracy to dictatorship. King Rama X is responsible for appointing judges, including those who serve on the Constitutional Court.
King Rama V banned most forms of gambling in the late 19th Century on the belief that games of chance deliver a negative social impact. More than 90% of the Thai population is Buddhist, a religion that views gambling as unethical.
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