Interior Ministry holds public hearing on new gambling bill

The Interior Ministry is seeking public input on a bill to toughen gambling law

The Interior Ministry is holding an online public hearing on its new bill to amend the outdated Gambling Act of BE 2478 to better suppress illegal gambling and impose harsher penalties, the ministry’s spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Traisulee Traisoranakul, secretary to Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and spokeswoman for the ministry, said Anutin had instructed the Provincial Administration Department (PAD) to draft a bill to amend the outdated act.

She said the bill has been drafted, and the PAD began holding an online public hearing on the amendment bill on the website of the Office of the Council of State on Thursday. The hearing will continue until 14 February.Traisulee stated that the bill will increase penalties for both operators and players of illegal gambling.

The spokeswoman said Anutin ordered the amendment because the current law, enacted in 1935, contains outdated provisions, and its penalties are considered too lenient.

Furthermore, she noted that the existing law fails to keep up with modern gambling practices, particularly those involving new technology, including online gambling.

The lenient and outdated provisions create loopholes for online gambling operators, she added.

She said Article 77 of the Constitution requires the ministry to seek public opinion before pushing for the bill’s enactment.

(2025/01/30-00:00)