In Thailand, almost every form of gambling is banned, with the exception of the national lottery, which fills state coffers, and horse racing, a favorite among Bangkok’s hi-so types.
Thailand’s current gambling laws date all the way back to the 1935 Gambling Act.
Under the strict law, everything from casinos to online betting is prohibited.
And the law doesn’t suffer from a lack of enforcement either.
Numerous raids on sports bookies, slot machine traffickers, and private casinos have occurred in recent years.
The law even bans producing or possessing playing cards as well as claw machines that are a popular staple in most arcades.
Despite placing tough restrictions on gambling in all forms, Thais are taking their chances more than ever.
It’s estimated that over half of Thais gamble in some form or another, especially online where being caught by authorities isn’t much of a worry for most.
On top of that, Thais wagered 43 billion baht on the 2014 World Cup alone.
“Not only is enforcing gambling laws in Thailand not having the intended effect, but it’s also sucking up valuable state resources and enabling a lucrative black market,” said Thailand criminal lawyer Jitsopin Narasettapong. “Under Thai laws, gambling profits end up in the pockets of shady individuals rather than the public treasury.”
In fact, neighboring Laos and Cambodia are gaining huge amounts of public revenues and tourism money from the legal casinos operating near the border of Thailand.
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