By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand has proposed tough entry requirements for local punters in casinos as it plans to build a major gaming industry to boost tourism, new draft regulation released on Monday showed, which could potentially dent investor interest.
Thai nationals must have at least 50 million baht ($1.5 million) in fixed deposits for at least six months to be able to enter casinos, according to the draft issued by the Office of the Council of State, which governments consult on legal issues, policy and appointments.
The requirements, which also include an entry fee capped at 5,000 baht, will effectively block large swathes of the population, where per capita gross domestic product is about $7,300, according to government data.
Most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand but illicit betting is rife. Domestic casino players were seen as an important draw for foreign investors, who are closely watching details of the draft law, analyst say.
A Citi report late last year estimated that about half of people age 20 and more in Thailand could be casino players, providing a base for the country to potentially become the world’s third largest gambling destination.
An entry fee as high as 5,000 baht would restrict casino access to upper middle class and wealthier Thai individuals, said Daniel Cheng, a gaming consultant based in Singapore.
“A further 50 million baht bank deposit requirement would render Thai casinos no better than foreigner-only regimes like South Korea’s,” he said.
Fresh public hearings for the new draft law will be held between February 15 and March 1. After they conclude, the draft law must be approved by cabinet before being sent to parliament for deliberation.
Thailand allows gambling in state-controlled horse racing, the lottery and betting on some sports, such as boxing.
Several countries in Southeast Asia have legalised casinos, but only a few like wealthy Singapore has been successful in drawing global giants such as Las Vegas Sands Corp on the back of robust regulations.
The Thai government, led by the populist Pheu Thai party, hopes to attract at least 100 billion baht ($3 billion) in new investment, for an annual boost to foreign arrivals by 5% to 10% and generate revenue of more than 12 billion baht a year.
Another restriction was that the casino area may only occupy up to 10% of the entire complex space, the draft showed.
Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. This year, the government expects 38 million foreign arrivals, closing in on its pre-pandemic record of nearly 40 million tourists.
But an opinion poll last month found that most Thais oppose the casino plan and some political parties argue that building a gambling industry would worsen social problems.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal, Martin Petty)
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