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Thailand’s Council of State Raises Concerns Over ‘Casino Bill’

The Council of State plans to oppose the forthcoming Entertainment Complex Bill, arguing that it violates government policy and fails to address the issue of illegal gambling.

According to sources, the Secretariat of the Cabinet circulated a memorandum to various agencies regarding the bill late last month, seeking input from stakeholders to inform the cabinet’s decision-making process.

The review of the bill has been expedited and will take place on Monday, a day earlier than scheduled, due to a royal celebration hosted by the government on Tuesday.

However, the Council of State has raised several significant objections to the bill. A primary concern is its limited focus on comprehensive entertainment centers, which seems inconsistent with the government’s broader plans to promote tourism.

Under this policy, the emphasis lies on developing integrated tourist attractions similar to Japan’s Integrated Resort Districts or Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, which include hotels, shopping malls, entertainment venues, and conference centers, with gambling facilities contributing a small portion of the overall revenue. Critics argue that the bill’s emphasis on gambling facilities diverges from its original intent.

The council also highlighted the importance of having a clear definition of entertainment complexes to ascertain whether they will entail hotels, restaurants, and other related businesses, which are already governed by existing laws.

Furthermore, although the bill aims to combat illegal gambling, the council expressed concern that the public associates comprehensive entertainment complexes with various recreational activities beyond gambling. Questions remain about whether the bill will effectively address unauthorized gambling linked to the inadequate enforcement of current laws.

If the government intends to legalize and regulate gambling, the council has suggested amending the Gambling Act of 1935 instead of introducing a new law.

Additionally, the council emphasized that the Finance Ministry needs to clarify the bill’s objectives so that the cabinet can better evaluate its suitability.

Key provisions of the Entertainment Complex Bill include licensing requirements for operating gambling facilities exclusively within entertainment centers. Licenses would mandate specific quotas for Thai and foreign employees and prohibit marketing or promotions targeting gambling activities. Entry would be restricted for anyone under 20 years old, as well as unregistered Thai citizens and certain other excluded groups.

The bill also specifies the types of businesses eligible to operate under this framework, which include shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, sports venues, water parks, and gaming facilities. The application fee for casino licensing is set at 100,000 baht, with initial licenses costing 5 billion baht and annual renewals priced at 1 billion baht. Thai citizens will be required to pay an entry fee of 5,000 baht for casino access.

The Finance Ministry is promoting the bill as an economic catalyst, projecting an increase in tourism revenue of up to 475.5 billion baht annually, along with the creation of 9,000 to 15,300 new jobs and government revenue gains ranging from 12 to 39 billion baht per year.

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