The final draft of the bill (dubbed the ‘Casino Bill’) would be ready for the Cabinet review in four weeks’ time. The announcement was made by Thailand’s Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat, as reported by news agencies in Thailand and Malaysia.
According to a report by The Star Malaysia, Amornvivat have compiled the input of all 16 government agencies regarding the economic and social impacts of said bill for revision within the next three to four weeks; before it would be sent to the Cabinet and the Office of the Council of State for evaluation, then tabled before the House of Representatives.
The Bill, if approved and passed, would allow casinos to be built on no more than 5% of space within large entertainment complexes, which would also house hotels, shops and other entertainment services. He estimated that these projects would bring in about TBH30bn to TBH50bn (US$0.8bn to US$1.3bn) in investments to the country.
While the 16 government agencies also agreed on the financial boosts the projects would bring, they emphasised that there should be protective measures in place to ensure responsible gambling and protect the people from negative gambling effects.
They also acknowledged that there would be necessary adjustments to related existing laws if Thailand allowed these entertainment complexes to legally operate their casinos.
When Thailand announced its plans to legalise gambling, MGM China and Galaxy had expressed their interest in the nation while Genting Singapore made known of their consideration to expand in Thailand recently.
