Abhisit sees entertainment complexes as slippery slope

Former premier asks who will really benefit and who will suffer, writes Aekarach Sattaburuth

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Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has expressed his opposition to the bill proposing the establishment of integrated entertainment complexes that include casinos, citing concerns about the social and economic impact.

Mr Abhisit spoke with the Bangkok Post before the draft bill was due to be read in parliament. That was originally scheduled for today but later postponed.

He warned about the risk of a spike in gambling addiction as part of larger societal problems of debt and crime. His view was that endorsing gambling, both in brick-and-mortar casinos and online, was sending the wrong signal to the public.

Gambling often leads to a lack of financial discipline and mounting debt, he said, on top of the broader economic problem.

Mr Abhisit said a government that has already adopted a policy of handing out cash unconditionally also risked encouraging more people to get involved in gambling.

The government claims the bill will boost tourism and draw more visitors to man-made attractions. But Mr Abhisit said when the government issued its policy statement to parliament, it did not openly mention casinos.

Instead, it adopted the term "integrated entertainment complex" as a strategic move to mask the true intention of establishing legal casinos as officials knew most of the public would oppose it, he said.