• Thailand: Gambling Laws and Regulations 2020. ICLG - Gambling Laws and Regulations - covers common issues in gambling laws and regulations – including relevant authorities and legislation, application for a licence, licence restrictions, digital media, enforcement and liability – in 39 jurisdictions.
• Government-sponsored Thai lottery and betting on horse races are the only legal forms of gambling in Thailand. Thailand’s national official lottery or Thai lottery is drawn every month twice, i.e. On the 1st and 16th. This lottery is administered by GLO or the Government Lottery Office to maintain fairness.

Thailand is a country where gambling is regulated by multiple laws and though most of it is illegal, Thai people love gambling activities. Thailand offers 2 forms of legal gambling: horse races in Bangkok (which is usually addressed to high society) and the national lottery, which is a big deal all over the country and most people in the. Thailand Gambling Law The primary law that regulates gambling in Thailand is the Gambling Act, B.E. If you click that link you will see there are 46 ministerial regulations, 16 legal opinions of Council of State and a Royal Decree all related to this law. There are also many separate laws relating to gambling.

Gambling in Southeast Asia is really taking off over the last few years, with even more countries getting ready to get in on all the action. Thailand is not one of them though, and they remain firm in their opposition to gambling in general.

Thailand does have limited legal gambling though, and the most popular form of gambling is playing the lottery. The lottery here was very popular even before it became legal, and the government looked at all of the money people were spending on it and decided that it would make sense for them to cash in on this bonanza themselves rather than let the black market make all of the money off of this.

Betting on horse racing is also permitted at two Bangkok race tracks which are also exempt from this law. These tracks are said to be frequented mostly by Bangkok high society and doesn’t’ really amount to that much as far as the overall amount of money that the Thai spend on gambling, as opposed to the lottery which is widely popular and also reaches into every corner of Thailand. (1)

Other than that, all other forms of gambling are illegal, under the Thailand Gambling Act of 1935. (2) This law prohibits all gambling not specifically authorized by law. The government hasn’t been too eager to authorize very much either.

There are other countries in Asia which have very strict anti-gambling laws, as well as countries elsewhere in the world, but a couple of things really stand out where Thailand is concerned, that really separate them from the pack here.

The first is the zeal that the government pursues gambling. While the penalties handed out aren‘t generally that severe, ranging from 500 to 5000 baht (about $15 to $150), and people found gambling are usually just fined, depending on the severity of the gambling, it also can carry up to 3 years imprisonment. The harsher penalties are generally reserved for organizers of the games though.

These laws apply to foreigners as well, and the authorities have been known to throw them in jail awaiting deportation, and deportation is often the response here in addition to fines, although if the offense is minor sometimes immigration officials will waive deportation. (3)

Foreigners and especially tourists charged with gambling can find themselves pretty intimidated though and often welcome a fine and deportation rather than facing more rigorous prosecution through the Thai justice system, so they very often plead guilty rather than having to post a long term bail bond, or if unable, serving several months in jail awaiting trial, and in either case having their stay perhaps extended far beyond what was anticipated.

There are over 50,000 arrests a year for gambling in Thailand, a huge amount, and anti gambling laws here aren’t just given lip service or exist primarily on paper only, like in a lot of places. The government is very serious about cracking down on it, and they take a very proactive approach to it as well, for instance having government agents spy on people, or set up gambling operations to entrap them. This is much more like a war on drugs than it is just looking to keep the peace, but the war here is on gambling.

Playing Poker In Thailand

The other distinguishing feature of gambling in Thailand is that in spite of these strict laws and great efforts to enforce them, illegal gambling in Thailand is very rampant, and that’s even an understatement.

To give you an idea of how big the black market for gambling is here, they do have a legal national lottery, but there’s also a black market lotteries here, and black market lotteries are said to be even bigger than the official, legal one. The black market versions are said to offer better odds and that is why people find them more appealing.

The main reason why black market gambling is so big in Thailand though is that the Thai people have a voracious appetite for gambling, and 70% of the people here are regular gamblers, a huge amount. When you throw that up against the very limited amount of legal gambling, well there’s going to be a lot of illegal gambling going on, and indeed, the underground gambling market here is a very large one, in the billions per year. People very often will also travel to neighboring countries, especially Cambodia, where several casinos are set up along the border with Thailand specifically for this. (4)

In addition to this, underground casinos are said to be everywhere, although they do concentrate on casino games, and there isn’t much poker around within the underground scene, other than in home games, where you have to know the host to be invited. (5)

Playing poker for money is against the law of course, and while it’s not illegal to be in possession of a deck of cards, it is illegal to produce or import playing cards, under the Playing Cards Act of 1943. (6) This is designed to slow down card games for money, but nothing slows down gambling here very much.

While simply playing a game with cards isn’t illegal, the presumption will be that if you are doing this then you are gambling, unless you are playing a game like bridge at a licensed bridge club, but it is true that given the penchant for gambling here, if cards are being played, money is probably changing hands as well.

Online Gambling in Thailand

It’s also forbidden to gamble online in Thailand, including playing online poker, but if the strict laws aren’t that effective in slowing down land based gambling, where there is a real risk of arrest, then online poker players here aren’t going to be too put out by the fact online poker is against the law here as well, especially since it’s very difficult to catch people doing this.

Given that the government here isn’t shy to enforce anti gambling laws, it’s not a surprise that they look to block people from accessing online gambling sites and online poker sites, as the government does in several other countries.

The actions of the government here isn’t just limited to this though, as they are particularly eager to prevent gambling in this country, and for those who do wish to play online poker, special care is advised, for instance you don’t want to be using a Thai credit card and also be found to be accessing online poker sites through a Thai ISP, and the government is known here to go to extremes to try to catch gamblers and even though it’s much more difficult to do so with online poker, they are still on the case here.

So this is a case where it’s a good idea to use a proxy to connect to online poker sites, even when playing, such as a virtual private network, and it’s also a good idea to use an internet wallet located in another country to move money in and out of these sites.

So there are a lot of online poker players in Thailand who enjoy online poker and with a little caution many feel pretty safe doing so. One of my top recommendations would probably be BetOnline Poker & Casino, which accepts players from almost EVERY location in the world minus the United States and several other countries.

References:

1. Online Gambling Sites in Thailand

2. Thailand Gambling Act

3. The Dangers of Gambling in Thailand

4. Thailand Gambling

5. Q&A With a Poker Player in Thailand

6. Playing Cards Act of 1943

#1 Editor's Choice All-in-One Gambling Site: BetOnline.ag

BetOnline.ag is one of the most reputable online poker sites that still cater to United States players and ALL grinders worldwide. Claim your 100% poker bonus and/or FREE $25 sports bet!

• New players can earn up to $1,000 in bonus cash on their 1st deposit.
• Ridiculously crisp software and graphics - no lag whatsoever online or on your mobile device.
• Super easy to deposit on - #1 credit card acceptance rate ANYWHERE; Cryptocurrency also accepted!
• 24/7 live support, VERY FAST payout speeds and built-in sportsbook and casino.
• $25 FREE BET available and other perks you can use at their online or LIVE DEALER casino.

EDITOR'S NOTE: BetOnline welcomes players from ALL 50 states and from ALL OVER THE WORLD w/ limited restrictions.

Brick and Mortar Gambling Law in Thailand

Horse racing in Bangkok and Thai Lottery are the only forms of gambling legal under Thailand Law. Online betting is however popular in Thailand because our police do not focus on websites that are licensed and legal in other countries. In Chatuchak Market in BKK and Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai you’ll find jerseys with BWIN logos for sale. On popular Thai websites Bodog88 casino ads are found. Ladbrokes has sponsored many Asian football tours here. The presence of online gambling websites is easy to see.

Websites for Betting Online

There are multiple types of websites Thai residents can use for sports betting, casino and online poker. The two most ideal are Asian bookies and UK bookmakers, though betting with land based casinos is also possible. In this article I explain the benefits, differences and how to use each. For the benefit of readers not aware how online betting works, I first quickly explain post up.

Understanding Post Up

Both Asian bookies and UK Bookmakers operate on post up. This means you can only bet how much is in your account. Let’s say you deposit 3,000 THB. You then make a ฿500 bet. This will be taken from your account making your balance 2500 THB. If your bet loses nothing happens. If it wins the ฿500 stake is returned to your balance and the winnings are added too. At anytime you can cash out all or part of your account balance. With Asian bookies these cash outs are paid direct to your Thai bank account.

Online Gambling Legal In Thailand Today

Using Asian Bookies in Thailand

Asian bookies are the easiest to use. www.bodog88.com is legal and licensed in the Philippines but markets to Thailand. They offer casino, sports betting, and poker from the same website. If you have a bank account with Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn Bank, Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) or Krung Thai Bank making post up deposits is easy. You can use online banking right at their website, or you can make deposits at the ATM or a transfer at the bank branch.

The benefits to using Asian bookies are many. Both Thai language and English language are supported. Also it is easy to deposit with direct bank transfer in Thai Baht (THB), and therefore no currency exchange fees are involved. Most bookies including Bodog88 offer payouts to Thai banks free of charge. Here you will find live dealer casino games such as baccarat, roulette and blackjack. There are also online slot machines and other casino games such as dice (craps). The benefits for sports betting are many too.

Football is the main sport of Asian sites. All the major leagues such as English Premier League (EPL), Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga are covered. You’ll also find betting odds on leagues from all around the world including Thai Premier League, but also other European and Asian leagues too. Besides just football they offer betting on tennis, volleyball, Formula 1, and many other sports.

Though not all Asian bookies offer online poker, Bodog88 does. They have Texas Hold’em cash games, sit and go tournaments and scheduled multi-table tournaments. Because many of their players are from South East Asia where poker is not as big as other places, the games here are very soft. On average it is much easier to win money with Bodog Poker than with big sites such as PokerStars, Party and Bet365.

Using UK Bookmakers in Thailand

Using UK bookmakers from Thailand is not as easy as using Asian bookies. However it is well worth the hassle in getting set up. The reason why is gambling has been legal in the UK since the 1960s. Only the most reputable companies are licensed here. Take for example www.bet365.com. They are one of the largest companies in the UK and even own the English Premier Franchise Stoke City FC. You can know for certain that their casino games are fair because the UK Gambling Commission is very strict and audits these games.

There are many benefits to Bet365 but first let me tell you a trick. When you an open account for free at www.bet365.com your account will be in Thailand Baht (฿) (THB). Log-in and contact their live chat and ask the operator to switch your account to United States Dollar (USD). This will make you eligible for a 100% up to $200 sports betting bonus. You deposit $200 USD (about 6000 THB) and you start with $400 (about 12000 THB).

The only small catch is all your bets must total 3-times your deposit plus bonus amount before you cash out. To deposit you’ll need to use EntroPay or NETELLER so if not already funded there will be fees. This is why I said get ฿5600 free – the actual amount is probably a bit more.

How to Use EntroPay

www.entropay.com is a service that offers internet based prepaid VISA debit cards. The reason this is needed is because Thai debit cards do not work for deposits at online gambling sites, but do work at EntroPay. Register an account at their website and they will give you an online VISA card number. You then load the card for a 4.9% fee using your Thai debit card. I do this all the time with my Be1st Visa Debit Card from Bangkok Bank.

A small tip is your card will get declined by EntroPay if you fail to complete the Verified by Visa process. For this service you must be registered. This is fairly easy to do – just follow the instructions online if you are not already registered. Or you can Google search your bank name with the words Verified by Visa to find out how to enroll. If you’re bank is Bangkok Bank you can register here.

Once you have added money to your EntroPay account visit the Bet365 cashier. When asked how you want to deposit, select EntroPay and enter you card details and the amount and hit submit. Instantly your Bet365 account will be funded. You can then play casino, poker or bet sports from their website.

Important note: at some point you will likely get an email saying your EntroPay account has been restricted or suspended pending a routine review. They will ask you to send them a copy of your ID, utility bill and funding source and to tell the name of the merchant you intend to spend with. Sending this information is fine. EntroPay is licensed by a UK government body called the FSA and is highly reputable. This is only a security check and nothing to worry about. It is fine to tell them the name of a gambling site as the merchant because gambling is very legal in the UK.

How to Use NETELLER

www.neteller.com is more difficult to set up from Thailand. This is an e-wallet that works just like an online bank account. You can use it to cash money out of one gambling site and then deposit to another. One nice benefit is they offer an ATM card where you can withdrawal the money stored in your NETELLER account at a Thai ATM machine. The one downside is to fund your account you initially will need to either a) find a transfer from someone with a NETELLER account (such as trading them PayPal) or make a wire transfer at the bank. The latter option is a bit expensive, and also farang without work permits will probably not be allowed to make a bank transfer as it involves remitting funds out of the country. For Thais this is a good account to set up.

Bet365 Benefits

Again depositing a Bet365 is a bit more hassle than Asian bookies, but the benefits are many. As I already mentioned we know the games are fair because they are licensed in the UK. The other factor is they have FAR more casino games than any of their competitors. They also have more player volume in their poker room than any of the Asian bookies. The massive advantage is sports. Anyone with a funded account can watch live steams of sports matches right from the Bet365 website. This is a huge plus as True Vision, Home Cable and others only have limited sports coverage.

Also at Bet365 not only can you watch games live online, but you can also bet on them live. They are a market leader for live in-play betting. You can bet while the match is running on who will, the over under and also markets such as who will score the next goal, or even a race to a certain number of corners. What is mentioned here is only a small overview. This is a website that if you take the effort to use you will likely be glad that you did.

Using Land Based Casinos

There are many land based casino in countries that border Thailand that offer online betting. Crown Casino in Poipet, Cambodia is the most famous for sports betting. Savan Vegas Hotel & Casino Savannakhet, Laos is the nicest casino in the region. They offer an online casino too. These are only a couple examples. Although these are probably fine to use, understand there is no guarantee the online version of their games are fair. They are not heavily regulated the same as Bet365 is in the UK.

Is Online Gambling Legal In Thailand

It is the advice of OnlineBetting.com to stick to using UK gambling sites when possible. In times the banking options are easier using casinos in Philippines, Isle of Man, and Gibraltar are good options too. These are all locations with well financed gambling commissions which greatly increases the chances the games are fair. Still in our opinion www.bet365.com is the safest and best gambling site for English speakers living in Thailand.

Online Gambling Legal In Thailand Now

1 Next:Explanation of the Thailand Lotto (Legal and Illegal) 3