Cabinet endorses casino report
A SPECIAL HOUSE COMmittee report on legalising entertainment complexes with casinos in Thailand was endorsed by the Cabinet on Apr 9.
The entertainment complex project is one of the key elements in the government’s “fun economy” sector, which includes tourism, sports, entertainment venues and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) businesses.
The Cabinet proposed entertainment complexes should be based near internationals airport to cater to international visitors and that a “casino tax” should be created and imposed to subsequently enable the government to help a wider range of people in society.
The Cabinet also suggested the government should not be the sole investor in such a project, or else it could face new budgetary burdens. It is ideal to have joint investments with several private partners and grant them a concessionaire in exchange.
The Cabinet also remarked that a specific government organisation should be set up to deal with possible negative impacts of the proposed entertainment complex, while a specific law should be passed for use to regulate this new business directly.
Public participation and public hearings will also need to be conducted to decide whether the government should proceed with the proposed casino proposal.
The House committee’s report was met with strong objections from a large group of university academics who warned that legalising casinos in Thailand could do more harm than good.
The Ministry of Finance was also assigned to conduct an additional study on the feasibility of the investment, which must be done within 30 days.