Thailand’s Senate will set up a special committee to study the impact of legal casinos within entertainment complexes once the House of Representatives completes its review of the Entertainment Complex Bill, Senate spokesman Pisit Apiwattanapong said Friday.
The House will examine the Entertainment Complex Bill next Wednesday 9 April after confirming it did not have time to do so this week due to more pressing matters.
According to a report by The Bangkok Post, Pisit revealed that two motions related to the bill have been placed on the agenda for the Senate’s 8 April meeting with the expectation that a committee will be formed to assess the bill and its potential impacts on the country.
The Senate is, Pisit added, divided on the issue of legal casinos with most wanting a public referendum before the bill is passed.
This comes as critics of the casino policy have become increasingly vocal in recent weeks, claiming that the bill is being rushed through parliament without sufficient feasibility studies being conducted.
A deep dive analysis by IAG, published earlier this week, also highlighted major concerns over the contents of the bill – specifically a clause requiring Thai nationals to hold a minimum THB 50 million (US$1.5 million) in fixed deposits for at least six months to be able to enter the nation’s legal casinos.
The analysis also found that there were only around six international casino operators likely to bid for a license at this stage.
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