‘No need’ for casino referendum, says deputy PM
“Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, meanwhile, shrugged off calls for a referendum. He said that while the government welcomes opinion on this and other policies, any delay to the entertainment complex bill could come at a cost to the economy.”
“Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been talking up the potential of entertainment complexes at his campaign appearances across the country. In response to critics of legalised gambling, he has stressed that the casino component of each complex would be 10% or less.”
Full item from the Bangkok Post.
Money laundering fears hang over Thailand’s online gambling plans
“‘But it also opens the door for ostensibly legitimate investments and use of the system by criminal actors for their illicit purposes, especially in a region rife with such actors. As we have seen in the Philippines, creating legal licensing and regulatory frameworks for gambling operators, like the POGO scheme, did not prevent the system from being taken over by highly problematic actors,’ he said.”
Full item on Voice of America News.