Myanmar is close to legalizing casinos nationwide, according to gambling experts.
The 2018 Gambling Law would make privately-owned casinos legal in the Southeast Asian nation and is expected to pass after receiving an endorsement from the sitting president U Win Myint.
The law now just needs to gain approval from the parliament, which appears likely.
The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism to the Ministry of Home Affairs both are pushing hard for the bill’s passage.
They state that legal casinos would boost the service industry and would draw more tourists to Myanmar, which until recently was closed off to tourists.
Not only that, but legal casinos would also drive a huge increase in taxes, according to the ministries.
As it stands now, the only casinos in Myanmar are illegal pop-up casinos which the government has had a tough time cracking down on.
If the bill passes, Thailand will be the last remaining country in Southeast Asia without an operating casino.
Under Thailand law, the only legal forms of gambling are the Thai national lottery and betting on horse races.
Even the private ownership of more than 120 playing cards is illegal in Thailand.
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