The survey was conducted by the Casino Committee of Thailand. Four in five people are in favor of the idea.
A total of 3,296 Thai citizens were questioned in the survey. 81% of people would like to see casinos in the country.
The Casino Committee inquired about the type of casinos the Thai would like to see. When asked if they preferred casinos with a department store, a majority of them said yes. It would be best if the casinos had a spa facility. 39% of respondents said that it’s necessary to have banks. 42% were okay with a casino without annex facilities.
The majority of respondents agree that Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is the best location to open a gambling venue.
Although people agree that a casino would benefit the local economy and encourage tourism, they are cautious of the dangers of casino crime. Around 45% are concerned about crime.
The majority believes that the positives outweigh the negatives. People hope that a legal gambling alternative will help to curb illegal gambling. People hope that a casino in Thailand will help it compete with Macau.
The findings of the Committee’s survey may not represent how the population of Thailand feels about casinos. People are still skeptical of the idea. Some people don’t believe that casinos are the panacea the government is looking for.
The idea of allowing five casinos to open in Thailand was put forward by the Casino Committee last month. The plan is to have at least one casino in each of Thailand’s five busiest areas, including one in Bangkok and its vicinity, another in Northern Thailand, a third in Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani or Udon Thani, and a fourth in Northeastern Thailand.
According to the proposal, only people who are 20 years old or older will be allowed to bet. It hopes to tax casinos 30% of their revenues in order to nurture the Thai economy. It remains to be seen if these plans will come to fruition. The country’s current king is not as opposed to gambling as his predecessor.
Summary:
A survey conducted by the Casino Committee of Thailand has shown that over 80% of the respondents are in favour of legal casinos in Thailand. The survey was conducted by the Casino Committee of Thailand, assigned with the task of probing the viability of legalizing gambling in the country. The announcement about the survey comes just after a proposal by the Committee.