PUBLISHED: 10 Feb 2025 at 05: 08
Former prime ministerAbhisit Vejjajivacriticised the government’s plan to legalise casinos and online gambling in Thailand, saying doing so will worsen social problems associated with the activity.
Speaking at a lecture on the drive to legalise playing in the country, Mr Abhisit called gambling a “major cultural issue” which has caused significant damage, not just to people, but to their families.
But, since the legalisation of games and online gaming is now higher on the government’s plan, Thais have to begin bracing themselves for the bad consequences, he said.
The Pheu Thai Party’s strategy for the 2023 votes initially suggested legalizing gambling and online gaming.
The group stopped short of stating what other activities may be made legal, according to Mr. Abhisit, saying that the government should manage them and obtain money from gambling and its related activities.
He noted that there hasn’t been much of a heated debate about casinos and online gaming among the general public.
” I disagree with the schedule… this is risky. Online gaming, in particular, will have a negative impact on society, by increasing family obligations and therefore, crime costs”, he said.
The government claimed that opening casinos would increase employment, bring tourists, and obtain revenue from operating licenses and taxes. But we have to consider the benefits and risks carefully”, he said.
He claimed that because immigrant workers from neighboring countries are most likely to be hired to work in these facilities, he did not believe legalized gambling would profit Thai workers.
Mr. Abhisit also emphasized the need for stringent law enforcement to stop possible money laundering through betting and casino-entertainment compounds.
More than 50 % of the 8, 000 people polled by the Centre for Gambling Studies, according to Nuannoi Trirat, director of the organization, are opposed to the legalization of games.
She criticized the government for not taking into account the government’s request for a referendum on whether it should permit casinos to work in the nation.
A bill that would make it possible for the formation of casino-entertainment complexes was approved by the government on January 13.
The government has given the Council of State, the president’s legal shoulder, 50 time to evaluate the costs before forwarding it to the House for consideration.
Because the plan has already been approved by parliament and Pheu Thai had campaigned against, it demands that there be no election.
Pakorn Nilprapunt, the mayor’s secretary-general, said the state wants the costs to be treated as serious, underlining the 50-day evaluation time, which was agreed by the case.