Thailand's House of Representatives recently elected Anutin Charnvirakul as the 32nd Prime Minister, with the leader of the Proud Thai Party winning a landslide victory of 293 votes to 119 following the February general election. His inauguration marks the end of Thailand's casino legalization plan—the Comprehensive Entertainment Business Act previously pushed by former Prime Minister Peotang Sinawatra is now beyond revival. Simply put, the new boss is not going ahead with the casino business.
A single phone call destroys a billion-dollar market
Peotang and her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a key political figure in Thailand, once saw casinos as key to revitalizing post-pandemic tourism, attracting foreign investment, and creating jobs. The original plan was to develop five casinos: two in Bangkok, and one each in Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. However, a 17-minute phone call with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen about a border conflict, which was leaked, sparked outrage. Her calling Hun Sen "uncle" and saying "just tell me what you want" triggered nationwide protests, plummeting her approval rating to 9.2%. Months later, she was forced to step down, with Anutin taking over.
New Prime Minister's stance: Wait for the next one for casinos
From the start, Anutin made it clear that Thailand "has to wait for the next Prime Minister" to see legalized casinos. Unlike his predecessor, he believes that legal gambling would actually undermine Thailand’s most important tourist market—China. During a meeting with Chinese leaders last November, he personally assured that the casino plan would not proceed during his term, while China promised to support more Chinese tourists visiting Thailand.
Industry reaction: Six Macau casinos had been eyeing eagerly
Facing a potential market valued at 263 billion Thai Baht (about 8 billion USD), top global gambling operators were eager to get involved. Operators from six Macau casinos—Melco, Galaxy, MGM, Wynn, Sands China, and SJM—were all interested in bidding, with Melco even having set up an office in Bangkok. However, the chairman of Hard Rock International bluntly stated a "zero interest" in Thailand due to "instability". A Macau gambling consultant pointedly noted: "Thailand's gambling plan is dead. The long-standing social antipathy in this Buddhist country not only continues but has made this issue a political suicide." Interested in the latest trends in the Asian gambling market? PASA official website keeps you updated.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
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