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HomeNewsThailandMajority opposes Thailand’s casino and online gambling plans: Survey 

Majority opposes Thailand’s casino and online gambling plans: Survey 

A recent survey by Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) reveals that most respondents are against the government’s proposed casino entertainment complex and suggestions to legalize online gambling.

According to the Bangkok Post, when asked about the development of entertainment complexes with casinos, 59.19 percent of respondents said they opposed both the complex and the casino elements.

Meanwhile, 28.93 percent supported both the complex and the casino, 8.63 percent supported the complex but not the casino, 1.68 percent had no opinion, and 1.6 percent supported the casino but not the complex.

On the topic of legalizing online gambling, 58.32 percent of respondents strongly disagreed with the idea. Only 19.92 percent strongly agreed with it, 11.45 percent somewhat agreed, and 10.31 percent somewhat disagreed.

As for the idea of holding public referendums on the casino-entertainment complex and online gambling, 51.07 percent of respondents opposed holding referendums for both. In contrast, 37.86 percent supported holding referendums on both issues, 5.11 percent supported a referendum only for the casino complex, and 3.89 percent backed a referendum only for online gambling legalization. A total of 1.99 percent of respondents had no opinion, and 0.08 percent did not answer.

The survey was conducted via telephone interviews on January 20th-21st with 1,310 people over the age of 18 from various educational, income, and occupational backgrounds.

Thailand’s cabinet approved the draft “Entertainment Complex Business Act” earlier this month, marking a significant step toward legalized land-based casinos.

The casino bill has already been submitted for discussion in the Council of State and the House of Representatives, and will later be submitted to Parliament this year. It is anticipated to be enacted in early 2026, according to Julapun Amornvivat, Deputy Minister of Finance. The country’s first casino is expected to open as early as 2029.

Meanwhile, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has publicly supported the push to legalize online gambling in mid-January, which he said could generate up to THB100 billion ($2.89 billion) in annual government revenue.

Although he holds no formal government position, Thaksin remains one of the most influential figures in Thai politics and is widely regarded as a central power behind the premiership of his 38-year-old daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Viviana Chan
Viviana Chanhttps://agbrief.com/
Viviana Chan is an editor, interpreter, and journalist. With over a decade of experience, she writes in English, Chinese, and Portuguese. Viviana started her career in Macau-based newspapers, where she became passionate about the region's social, financial, and cultural development. Her writing focuses on the economy, emerging industries, gaming development, political affairs, and cross cultural-exchange in the business and cultural domains. She is avid for news and eager to discover and cover stories that generate public relevance.

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