Sretta Taweesin on Thursday announced his support for legal casinos as a way to generate revenue from the country's underground economy.

He said the government supports the idea of issuing a new law allowing the creation of so-called entertainment complexes in Thailand, including legal casinos.

 

“We need to identify the gray [underground] economy so that we can control it from both a safety and fitness perspective. And we can collect taxes properly. I agree with this and believe that this is an important issue,” said the Prime Minister.

 

Sretta added that he expects legal casinos to help alleviate the country's chronic problem of illegal gambling while adding revenue to the national coffers. “If they can go to legal casinos, why will people continue to break the law? Players can try their luck at legal casinos.”

 

It is expected that up to 50,000 new jobs will be created in the entertainment complexes that will be built in the country. By allowing these entertainment complexes to open legal casinos, Thailand will also be able to solve its chronic problem of illegal gambling.