Should online gambling be legalised, a national gambling commission must be established to regulate such activities, said Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Mr Anutin recently responded to Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong's statement about the collaboration between the Interior Ministry and the Digital Economy and Society Ministry to legalise online gambling within two months.
Mr Anutin said his ministry would handle aspects such as licensing and categorising gambling types, with related draft bills already in place.
When asked about how gambling will be legalised, Mr Anutin said it will involve transitioning underground gambling to legitimate platforms to reduce crime and exploitation.
Through these platforms, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry will monitor and manage gambling addiction, for example, by alerting creditors when individuals accumulate debt so that they will stop providing further loans, he said.
Regarding the criteria for legal gambling operators, he emphasised the importance of being financially stable and accountable, ensuring operators cannot evade responsibilities by closing operations when facing a significant loss.
He also highlighted the need for a national gambling commission to regulate the industry.
This comes after former premier Thaksin Shinawatra stressed the need to legalise online gambling during a campaign speech in Chiang Rai on Jan 5, citing that although online gambling generates significant revenue, the government has not been able to collect taxes from the activity.