The Council of State will oppose the upcoming Entertainment Complex Bill, claiming it breaches government policy and does not address the issue of illegal gambling.
A source said on Saturday the Secretariat of the Cabinet issued a circular to various agencies regarding the bill late last month. The circular sought input from stakeholders to aid the cabinet decision-making process.
The review of the bill has been brought forward by a day to Monday, as the government is to host a royal celebration on Tuesday.
However, the Council of State has some key objections to the bill, said the source. The primary concern is its narrow focus on comprehensive entertainment centres, which appears inconsistent with the government's wider plans to promote tourism.
Under that policy, the emphasis is on developing integrated tourist attractions, similar to Japan's Integrated Resort Districts or Singapore's Marina Bay Sands, featuring hotels, shopping malls, entertainment venues, and conference centres. Gambling facilities represent a smaller proportion of overall revenue. Critics argue the bill's focus on gambling facilities does not align with the original objective.
The council also stressed the need for a clear definition of such entertainment complexes to determine whether they will include hotels, restaurants and other related businesses as these components are already regulated by existing laws.
In addition, although the bill aims to tackle illegal gambling, the council said the public links comprehensive entertainment complexes with diverse recreational activities, not just gambling. Concerns persist over whether the bill would address unauthorised gambling stemming from weak enforcement of current laws.
If the government seeks to legalise and regulate gambling, the council has proposed amending the Gambling Act 1935 rather than introducing a new law.
Additionally, the council emphasised that the Finance Ministry must clarify the bill's objectives so the cabinet will better able to review whether it is fit for purpose.
The Entertainment Complex Bill's key provisions include licensing requirements for operating gambling facilities exclusively within entertainment centres.
Licences mandate specific quotas for Thai and foreign employees and prohibit marketing or promotions targeting gambling activities. Entry would be barred to anyone 20, and unregistered Thai citizens and certain other groups deemed ineligible.
The bill also outlines the business types eligible to operate under this framework, including shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, sports venues, water parks and gaming facilities. Casino licensing fees are set at 100,000 baht for applications, with initial licences costing 5 billion baht and annual renewals priced at 1 billion baht. Thai citizens must pay an entry fee of 5,000 baht per visit to enter casinos.
The Finance Ministry is promoting the bill as an economic driver, projecting increased tourism revenue of up to 475.5 billion baht annually, with 9,000–15,300 new jobs created and government revenue gains of 12–39 billion baht per year.
