According to a survey, a large majority of Thais are opposed to the casino project and the legalization of online gambling.
The opinion poll was conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) and was published on Sunday, January 26.
The government approved a bill this month to legalize casinos in entertainment complexes and online gambling.
The only legal games currently in Thailand are horse racing and the lottery, but illegal betting, gaming, and lotteries are widespread, with huge sums of money changing hands.
Thais against casino legalization
About fifty members of the Anti-Casino Youth Network marched from Makkhawan Rangsan bridge to the Government House in Bangkok to protest against the bill aimed at legalizing casinos in Thailand on September 19, 2024. Photo: Chanat Katanyu
The survey was conducted by telephone on January 20 and 21 among 1,310 people aged over 18, of different levels of education, income and occupation across the country.
In the survey, 69% of respondents were opposed to online gaming and 59% disagreed with entertainment complexes and casinos, while 29% were in favor of both.
When asked what they thought about the development of integrated entertainment complexes including a casino:
- 59.19% of respondents declared themselves opposed to both the complex and the casino;
- 28.93% supported both;
- 8.63% supported the complex, but without the casino;
- 1.68% did not make a comment;
- 1.60% supported only the casino.
When asked if they agreed with the government's willingness to legalize online gambling:
- 58.32% responded that they did not agree at all;
- 19.92% were in full agreement;
- 11.45% were somewhat in agreement;
- 10.31% were somewhat in disagreement.
Regarding public referendums on the construction of casino and entertainment complexes and the legalization of online gambling, the responses of those surveyed vary as follows:
- 51.07% stated that they disagreed with the organization of referendums for both casino complexes and the legalization of online gambling;
- 37.86% agree with the organization of referendums for both projects;
- 5.11% agree to hold a referendum only for the casino and entertainment complex project;
- 3.89% were in favor of holding a referendum only on the legalization of online betting;
- 1.99% did not comment;
- 0.08% did not respond.
Another survey conducted in December 2021 shows that the number of people against the legalization of casinos has increased since then.
See: In Thailand, the majority opposes the legalization of gambling and casinos
Legalization could bring in up to 100 billion bahts
Roulette and casino chips.
Neighboring countries, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar have large casino complexes.
The Thai government argues that the nation is turning its back on revenue and failing to reach its tourism potential.
One of the main advocates for legalizing gambling was the father of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the former billionaire Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
He stated this month that legalization could bring in up to 100 billion baht (2.82 billion euros) per year for the government.
Source: Bangkok Post, Reuters
Do you like Toutelathailande.fr?
👉 Leave us a review on Trustpilot.
Your review strengthens the credibility of our work and the trust of our readers.
Useful links to prepare your trip to Thailand
Book bus, train and boat in Thailand
Manage your money while traveling with Wise
If our news, tourist information, or cultural content has been useful to you and you'd like to thank us:
You can follow us on:
Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook,Google News
Or install our application: Install the application of All Thailand on your smartphone
3 comments
3 comments on the content of this article:
First, it is unusual for the government to take into account the views of the population, whether by means of a survey or referendum, a democratic means of consulting the population that does not seem to be in place in Thailand.
This law will therefore be approved regardless of what the majority of the population does, who seem to be against this megaproject.
Secondly, it is notable that, apart from Singapore, which has the status of an independent city-state with exceedingly strict laws on its territory and can be described as an Asian "Monaco", it is Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar that all 4 have, on their national territory, numerous gaming establishments and casinos with corruption rates among the 40 most corrupt countries out of a global total of 192.
What will happen to Thailand's ranking, which currently holds a not-so-glorious 108th place when in a few years casinos will be operating at full capacity in a country where, unlike Singapore, corruption is not fought as it should be, the highest authorities of political, economic and financial power being corrupted by this same corruption that it must eliminate by all means, which is not about to happen, and it is not the emergence of large game-center and casino complexes that will improve things.
And finally, last remark, it is extraordinarily revealing that Taksin Shinawatra makes a personal statement claiming that this will bring Thailand more than 100 billion baht every year, he who is careful not to open the account books of his shares in Cambodian casinos, nor to extrapolate on his own future profits, being a major player in the establishment of this Thai casino empire, with, among other shareholders, a few major Thai fortunes…
But beyond all this juicy melting pot, there is the big question mark regarding the behavior of the working class and the emerging Thai middle class who will inevitably be attracted by the lure of big "easy and fast" gains, who already have to pay 5,000 baht just to enter a casino, but who risk increasing the percentage of household debt that is already over 90%, not to mention the number of suicides out of despair that is also likely to explode !!!
Nothing very reassuring in all this, except of course for the big winners of this liberalization operation, who are already among the multi-millionaires and billionaires of the country…
Well… these casinos are a form of foreign invasion.
These people are already over-indebted, it will finish them off.