The Thai government is cracking down on Internet gambling. Last month it banned all online gambling and announced new legislation that would require all Internet service providers to cut off access to any site offering online gambling to clients below a certain age. The move has caused a huge public backlash and the government has now promised to rethink the ban and perhaps make some concessions. The current round of controversy, however, has not dampened the rapid growth of Thailand's Internet gambling industry.
Earlier this year, Thailand took a step back from the brink of becoming another gambling haven as the government announced new laws intended to control พนันออนไลน์. Thailand had been pushing hard to become a world leader in Internet gambling in the last few years but with this latest move, the country looks like it may have lost some of its momentum.
The new legislation proposed by the Thai government would essentially shut down Internet gambling for all but the wealthiest citizens. That's right, no one under eighteen would be able to gamble online without the permission of an adult guardian. In order to get a guardian to agree to allow online gambling on his computer, the adult would have to first give the child permission to access the computer in question. While the new regulations are intended to curtail the amount of underage gamblers on the web, many critics of the legislation are worried that it will instead criminalize the child who refuses to leave home to join the adult in his online casino gaming.
Some Internet gambling companies in Thailand have indicated that they will move their operations to other countries or jurisdictions where it is legal. If this happens, it could mean the end of Thailand as a leading gambling hub.
With its new ban on Internet gambling, the Thai government also imposed a ban on the sale and distribution of gambling software in the country. This move has already caused a major rift in the Thai online gaming community. Although many of the leading companies in the industry continue to operate in the country, many others are now shutting their doors, citing the new laws and the growing resistance from the Thai government. Many in the industry believe that the new laws will force most companies to shut their doors permanently.
So, is there a chance that Thailand is going too far in tightening its grip? The answer to that is... probably not.
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