The Thai government is set to begin initial discussions on the legalization and regulation of online gambling, with an official study into such plans expected to wrap up in the coming months, according to Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong.
As reported by The Bangkok Post, Prasert’s comments come after Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thailand Prime Minister and father of current PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, said during a campaign speech on Sunday that online gambling should be legalized as a means of combatting the growing underground market. Thaksin also called for any such legalized industry to restrict access to those aged 20 and above, adding that with up to 4 million people using illegal sites daily it was clearly beneficial to implement proper regulations and generate tax revenue.
Prasert, who is also Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister, told local media on Monday that legalizing online gambling would be “good for the economy” as well as for society given that illegal sites are known to target Thai youths. However, he confirmed there had not yet been any official discussions around Thaksin’s age limit proposal.
Instead, he called for all government agencies to start working together on the issue of online gambling given that many amendments to current laws will need to be passed for a legal online gambling industry to become a reality.
The push to legalize online gambling comes with the government also preparing to legalize land-based casinos.
Secretary-General Prommin Lertsuridej stated late last year that the government is confident that its draft bill on entertainment complexes will pass through both houses of parliament to become law in 2025, possibly as early as mid-year.
