Much like the long-running saga of Japan’s integrated resorts, authorities in Thailand are again looking into the possibility of legalizing casinos. But is it all just a pipe dream? IAG takes a closer look at what the future may hold.
Aside from the muslim majority nations of Indonesia and Brunei, Thailand is the only ASEAN nation without a legal casino and yet it maintains strong connections to gambling. With a population of almost 70 million, it has been estimated that as much as half of its adult population gambles via illegal means such as sports betting – more than THB160 billion (US$5 billion) is bet on football alone each year – or the many underground casinos that permeate major metropolitan centers.
Thailand has long been viewed as an attractive candidate to one day establish a legal casino industry.
“There is certainly demand,” explains Vitaly Umansky, Managing…
