Thailand May Need to Wait on Casino Resorts Until 2023

Thailand may put talks about the introduction of casino resorts on the back burner until after the country’s general election in 2023, Inside Asia Gaming reported. The publication, which is an authoritative specialized media covering the Asian gaming market, cited Spectrum Asia CEO Paul Bromberg who was attending the 2022 MGS Summit on Wednesday and who suggested that Thailand’s rumored casino projects are unlikely to get more in the way of discussion until after the general elections.

Thai Casino Resorts May Need to Wait Until 2023

There are sufficient political challenges that need to be addressed with priority inside the country, Bromberg explained before casinos can make the agenda once again. However, Thailand has already been toying with the idea, and a parliamentary committee did outline the possibility of up to five casino resorts located in different regions in the country.

These locations have not passed feasibility studies, though, so there is still no clarity on how many of the proposed sites can host the casino resorts, and how many would actually get the political backing. Having large integrated resorts, though, is a challenge in itself, due to disrupted supply chains and the mounting costs of materials and labor, inflation, and other logistical challenges.

However, Thailand may ultimately opt for a smaller project, Bromberg was cited as saying. He believes that Pattaya would make the most sense to host such a project, owing to the infrastructure there, proximity to an airport and hotel development.

As Thailand goes to and fro on whether it should focus on land-based casino resorts, the country has been conducting raids across the country to crack down on illegal gambling operations. In September, Thailand said that it had been able to shut down 2,819 illegal gambling websites in the past 12 months.