Political Parties Submit Legislative Amendments To Legalise Casinos

[webfact]

 

By Editor

 

The leader of the Thai Local Power Party, Chutchawan Kong-u-dom, yesterday (May 18) led smaller parties in submitting a draft amendment to the Gambling Act allowing for the legalisation of casinos and online gambling.

 

Chutchawan, widely known as “Chat Taopoon”, and his party members along with 20 representatives of smaller parties has submitted the draft amendment to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai through his political working group member Pongsri Tarapoom.

 

He said the draft amendment aimed to legalise online casinos to generate revenue in the country amid the economic downturn.  Chutchawan said he is also setting his sights on online gambling and the duty-free business.

 

Kovit Puangngam, a party list-MP of the Thai Local Power Party, said legalisation of online casinos will enable authorities to collect taxes from the licence holders, as well as define punishments to impose on illegal casino operators.

 

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Of tax revenue collected from licence holders including their application fees, 10% will be sent to the Ministry of Finance, while another 90% of taxes will fund state welfare initiatives including debt relief in the agricultural sector, student loans and occupational development, Kovit said.

 

The country is expected to earn revenue from tax collection and application fees for online casinos of about B1.5 trillion, which could help boost the nation’s coffers, Kovit said.

 

In addition, the party proposed to operate a casino in each of Thailand’s four regions in provinces most-visited by tourists, he said.  These casinos may help generate at least B400-600 billion each year, Kovit said.

 

Apart from casinos, the party also will propose legalising underground lotteries from which the country could earn at least B150bn each year, he said.  “The draft amendment to the Gambling Act to legalise casinos and underground lotteries is meant to generate income while the country faces massive national debt,” he said.

 

Kobboon Tangsawatdikun, deputy spokesman for the party, acknowledged that young people access online gambling domestically and internationally, which is a worry.  However, legalisation of online casinos will allow for data checks of online players, which also can help prevent crimes associated with gambling activities, he said.

 

Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2022/05/political-parties-submit-legislative-amendments-to-legalise-casinos/

 

-- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2022-05-19

 

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[edwinchester]

".....as well as define punishments to impose on illegal casino operators."

 

There already exists punishments available for those convicted of running illegal casino's. The conundrum faced is that those tasked with catching those running said illegal casino's are usually the owners themselves or turning a blind eye in exchange for a well stuffed envelope.

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He said the draft amendment aimed to legalise online casinos to generate revenue in the country amid the economic downturn.

Rubbish.

All the money in Thailand is already spoken for daily, most Thais have no extra cash for Casino's  [above what gambling they already do]

So do they think thousands of foreigners are going to come here just to gamble and bankroll them?