Local residents will make up 90% of the visitors to Thailand's legal casinos

Public hearings are ongoing in Thailand regarding a bill to legalize entertainment complexes featuring casinos. According to the country's Ministry of Finance, local residents are expected to make up as much as 90% of the total visitors to these gambling establishments.
The initiative to explore the possibilities and implications of regulating land-based casinos is being led by Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat. A special committee in the House of Representatives, under his guidance, has analyzed the feasibility of the proposal and submitted a report to the Cabinet.
The study draws parallels with Macau, where casino gaming attracts at least 10% of the city's population. The committee forecasts that the number of potential local visitors to gambling venues in Thailand could reach 37 million, which is more than half of the country's total population. When considering both locals and tourists, the total number of potential active players could amount to 4.8 million, with 3.7 million of them being Thai citizens.
This forecast appears realistic: according to a source within the Ministry of Finance, 4.48 million residents of Thailand engaged in card gambling activities in 2021. However, due to the absence of casinos in the country, they had to travel abroad to play. If gambling establishments are legalized in Thailand, local active players are expected to flock to them immediately upon opening.
Under the proposed legislation, only limited liability companies or public companies with a minimum registered capital of 10 billion baht (approximately $272 million) will be eligible to apply for casino licenses. The licenses will be valid for 30 years, with an option to extend for an additional 10 years. The licensing fee is set at 5 billion baht (around $136 million), while annual renewals will cost 1 billion baht (approximately $27 million).
Notably, Thailand plans to finalize its casino resort legislation in the fourth quarter of 2024.