The bill which would set up entertainment complexes focuses more on having casinos rather than providing clarity about how the country will benefit from the revenue, the Stop Gambling Foundation says.
It has slammed the Entertainment Complex Bill which the Finance Ministry plans to present to cabinet next month.
Thanakorn Komkrit, secretary-general of the foundation, on Saturday expressed concerns about the bill's details, which "diverge significantly" from the initial Singapore model of opening a regulated entertainment complex business.
The bill allows for significant downgrades of entertainment complex features promised earlier, such as luxury hotels and shopping malls, which could affect revenue, he said. Instead, the focus has shifted almost entirely to casinos.
Key elements like conference halls and concert venues are no longer included in the plan, and vague regulations in the bill could lead to inconsistencies in policy implementation governing complex operation.
One contentious provision involves entry fees for Thai citizens, capped at 5,000 baht per head.
Critics argue this fee could be slashed in the future or waived altogether, making casinos accessible to locals and pandering to gambling.
The absence of a dedicated oversight agency and a fund to mitigate gambling-related harms also raises red flags.
"Most importantly, it's unclear how much the country will benefit from the bill as it doesn't provide clear details about tax collection [from related commercial activities]," said Mr Thanakorn.
He added the bill grants sweeping powers to a policy board chaired by the prime minister, allowing it to determine the locations of the complexes, licence holders and tax rates without requiring public opinion.
As a result, the board might favour investors of the entertainment complexes by imposing low-rate tax and allowing them to hold their licences for up to 30 years and lease land for up to 99 years, Mr Thanakorn said.
He was also concerned that lax regulations might turn casinos into hubs for money laundering by criminals.
Despite the concerns, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat argues the bill can be a game-changer for the economy.
The project can generate significant revenue during investment and operation phases, he said, boosting GDP by 0.2% during the investment period and at least 0.7% after the project begins.
The bill outlines a framework for integrated facilities, including malls, hotels, sports arenas and theme parks.
However, casinos remain the focal point, with 30-year licences available for 5 billion baht, plus annual fees of 1 billion baht. The Finance Ministry estimates investments of over 100 billion baht per complex, generating annual revenues of 40–50 billion baht.
