Gambling Legal In Thailand
- Thailand has multiple laws to govern gambling, but online gambling on websites that are licensed and legal in their own countries generally do not attract much attention from authorities.
- Gambling in Thailand Apart from the government-supported National Lottery and betting on horses at the racetracks, gambling is largely illegal in Thailand. There no casinos in Thailand, although gambling dens can be found throughout the country, and online betting does occur.
- Thailand does have limited legal gambling though, and the most popular form of gambling is playing the lottery. The lottery here was very popular even before it became legal, and the government looked at all of the money people were spending on it and decided that it would make sense for them to cash in on this bonanza themselves rather than.
12th July 2015
In recent weeks there has been talk of casino legalization in Thailand. Speculation began in earnest after the national police chief in Thailand came out in favor of casino legalization noting support for regional casinos in Thailand (many have also noted their belief that Pattaya would be an ideal location for a Casino should legalization ever become a reality). Meanwhile, other officials in Thailand noted their opposition to Casinos in Thailand citing the knock-on social problems that often arise in conjunction with legalized casino gambling. Notwithstanding the fact that members of the national reform council were in favor of casino legalization and the notion had gained support from other notables, including the Thai finance minister, the issue of Thai casino legalization appears to be a non-starter. This is especially the case in light of the fact that the current Prime Minister of Thailand has quashed the idea of casino legalization occuring during his term of office.
Even though casino legalization may not be coming to fruition under the current government, there are some forms of gaming which are legal in the Kingdom of Thailand. Currently, it is legal to gamble on horse racing at two of the main horse racing venues in Bangkok and there is sanctioned gaming associated with horse racing outside of Bangkok. Concurrently, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium allows gaming related to the boxing events which occur on the premises. Finally, the lottery is also a legal form of gaming in Thailand. In recent months issues have arisen with regard to the price of lottery tickets in Thailand as the Thai government has attempted to enforce laws regarding the prices for such tickets quoted to the consumer public.
As of the time of this writing, online gambling is illegal in Thailand and many online gaming websites are blocked by the Thai authorities. One of the main argumentss in favor of legalizing gambling in Thailand has been the notion that doing so would capture much of the money which is lost to casinos operating along Thailand’s borders with her neighbors. Whether this argument is sound remains anyone’s guess as casino legalization has yet to occur in Thailand. Meanwhile opponents of casino gaming in Thailand point to moral qualms they have with the practice and also to the fact that many in Thailand do not have the financial means to enjoy casino gambling and the overall lack of financial ability to support gambling habits could lead to serious social and economic problems for Thai society as a whole.
The majority of gambling activities are illegal in Thailand. This includes sports betting and physical casino as well as online gambling.
Only time will tell whether Thailand sees legal casinos and if such a transition to legalized gaming results in a net benefit for the Kingdom of Thailand.
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Is Online Gambling Legal In Thailand
Thailand has some of the strictest gambling laws in the world. The government here bans most forms of traditional gambling. Despite the strict regulations, rates of gambling in Thailand are growing.
It’s surprising news for the country’s lawmakers. Now is the perfect time to look at Thailand’s set of gambling laws and talk about how many individuals here are gambling every year. Let’s get started!
Current Gambling Laws in Thailand
Gambling has taken place in Thailand for centuries. For more than 80 years, however, the government has taken a very anti-gambling stance.
Today, the main piece of legislation that regulates the country’s gambling industry is the Gambling Act of 1935. This set of laws includes a Royal Decree that essentially claims all forms of gambling are banned. The Playing Cards Act of 1943 and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1999 added even more restrictions to the gambling industry here.
Anyone caught gambling faces at least a 1,000 baht fine and up to one year in prison. Those found operating an illegal gambling venue could face a more substantial punishment.
Thailand does, however, allow certain forms of gambling to take place.
A government-operated lottery is available twice a month. Horse race wagering is legal, as well. Perhaps the most popular form of gambling in Thailand is betting on Muay Thai fights. Attendees to these fights can wager on the bout outcomes without fear of punishment by the police.
Despite the harsh laws against gambling in Thailand, more locals are choosing to wager every single month. A new study shows that rates of gambling are now extremely high here.
Rates of Gambling in Thailand Are Growing
No one knew how effective the Thai government’s ban on gambling was until recently. Thailand’s Center for Gambling Studies and Center for Social and Business Development released a study report that claims 57% of the adult population here has gambled during the past year.
Legal Gambling Age In Thailand
Forty-four thousand fifty individuals between the ages of 15 and overtook part in this study. This year’s findings mark an increase from a similar study in 2017, which found that 54.2% of Thai’s had gambled over the previous year. Expanding this study across the entire population shows that some 30 million individuals in Thailand gamble annually.
Fortunately, most individuals here claim to only gamble through the government-run lottery. Underground, illegal lotteries are the second most form of gambling in Thailand. 3.5 million individuals here claimed to have made wagers on sports.
Legal lottery gambling is expected to bring in over 150.5 billion Baht this year. It’s an extremely lucrative industry for the country and one that the government is unlikely to ban anytime soon. Research shows that this legal form of gambling acts as a gateway to illegal gaming activities. It wouldn’t be a major surprise to see lawmakers set new lottery restrictions, though.
Online Gambling Isn’t Gaining Traction in Thailand
It’s surprising to some that illegal land-based gambling is growing more popular in Thailand. It’s also interesting to find that online gambling still isn’t attracting Thai players. The gambling ban certainly applies to online gambling. Many are still able to make wagers through gambling sites in Europe using VPNs to hide their identities and location.
Online gambling isn’t popular in this country. According to the new study, only 1.6% of those polled claimed to have gambled online. Baccarat is the most popular online gambling game. Only a small number of individuals here wagered on sports over the internet.
This report also claims that half of all gamblers here started by the time they were 20. One individual claimed that he began to wagering at age seven. More than 200,000 individuals in this country are gambling addicts.
Gambling in Thailand is popular, yet most of it is done legally. Not long ago, Cambodia began cracking down on its gambling industry. Hopefully, lawmakers in Thailand choose to keep the legal gambling options up and running.
Will Thailand’s government ever choose to legalize casino gambling and sports betting? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!