According to the Finance Ministry, the government’s proposed entertainment complex project, which includes a casino, is projected to primarily attract Thai gamblers, who are expected to make up as much as 90% of its clientele.
The draft legislation for the entertainment complex is currently undergoing public hearings as mandated by the constitution.
The initiative to establish a casino in Thailand is being led by a special House committee focused on developing an integrated entertainment complex, under the leadership of caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat.
The committee’s findings were submitted to the cabinet for evaluation, resulting in the ministry drafting the new law.
The study indicates that if a casino were to be established in Thailand, the majority of participants would be locals. The committee referenced Macau’s statistics, which suggest that at least 10% of the population, including both locals and tourists, engage in casino gambling.
Of this group, 90% are residents from mainland China, while 10% are international visitors.
Using these statistics, the committee estimated that based on 2022 population data, around 37 million Thai residents aged 18 to 75 who do not hold national welfare cards could potentially visit a casino.
In 2022, Thailand received 11 million foreign tourists.
According to the committee’s calculations, the figure of 10% of this target demographic participating in casino gambling would equate to approximately 4.8 million individuals in 2022. This includes 1.1 million foreigners and 3.7 million Thai residents.
The estimate of 3.7 million Thai gamblers appears plausible, as data from 2021 indicated that 4.48 million Thais engaged in card gambling, according to an anonymous source within the Finance Ministry.
This source noted that, based on the available statistics, it is anticipated that once casinos are opened in Thailand, some Thai gamblers who previously traveled to neighboring countries for gambling will opt to play at local establishments instead.
The estimate of 10% of the population participating in casino gambling is considered a conservative figure, as global casino-related websites report that up to 26% of the world’s population engages in gambling.
As per the source, the draft legislation for the entertainment complex designates the prime minister as the law’s enforcer.
The Entertainment Complex Policy Committee, headed by the prime minister, will have the authority to formulate policies regarding the management of the complex.
Companies aspiring to obtain a concession for an entertainment complex must be either limited or public limited companies with a minimum registered capital of 10 billion baht, and must also secure a license from the Entertainment Complex Policy Committee.
Licenses will be valid for 30 years and may be renewed for additional 10-year periods.
The licensing fee is set at 5 billion baht per license, along with an annual fee of 1 billion baht.
Additionally, the entrance fee for Thai visitors to the casino is capped at 5,000 baht per person, according to the source.
