Is Sports Gambling Legal In Thailand

In Thailand there are no legal land based casinos. These were banned under the Gambling Act 2478 (1935). Under this law, the Thai National Lottery and Horse Race Betting are the only forms of legal gambling. Although unlawful gambling carries a fine of 1,000 Baht, up to 1-year in prison, and can result in cash used for gambling being seized, this has done little to stop its popularity amongst Thais.

All over the country casino games are played. It is done at almost every funeral in the Northeast and in underground casinos located in homes, apartments and even rented office space However it is strongly advised not to engage in any form of gambling whilst in Thailand.

If you want a flutter then the best option is to visit a neighbouring country where gambling is legal. The options are:

But one country at the other extreme is Thailand, where almost every kind of gambling is against the law. The only exceptions are horse racing and the lottery. Horse racing mainly takes place in Bangkok and is favoured by high society, and the state-run lottery takes place twice a month on the 1 st and the 16 th. The act specifies that sports betting is NOT considered an interactive form of gambling. Although online casino and poker games are prohibited by the Interactive Gambling Act, sports betting is perfectly legal. The only stipulation is that live betting is prohibited, as this is considered interactive.

Cambodia Casinos

There are several Thailand to Cambodia border crossings and every single one of them has a number of gambling options.

Bangkok to Cambodia: For those in the Bangkok region looking to gamble, the place to head is Aranyaprathet district in the province of Sa Kaeo Depending where you live in Bangkok, and on the traffic that day, this is around a 2.5 to 3 hour drive (maybe less). Here you cross into Poipet which is the most popular destination for Thai nationals. While there is an entire strip of casinos here, if you’re also interested in sports betting, Crown Casino is the best. They have been licensed and operating from Poipet since 1999.

Trat and Koh Chang to Cambodia: If you are based in or near Trat, or are visiting Ko Chang, and want to gamble, the border to head to is the Cham Yeam crossing. This connects Hat Lek of Thailand with Ko Kong of Cambodia. Once over the border you can’t miss the big casino.

Surin to Cambodia: If you are in Surin and want to gamble, the crossing to head to is the one that connects Chong Jom, Thailand with O Smach. This is a hugely popular crossing with Thai gamblers. In fact, you don’t see many farang or tourists at this crossing, just gamblers. There’s not much there on the Cambodia side other than hotel-casinos. If you’re going there for tourism and sight-seeing, you will need to continue 35 km north to Samraong, or a couple hours to Siem Reap.

Si Saket to Cambodia: This is not a popular border crossing for anyone other than locals. The town you’re traveling into is Anlong Veng. Some irony involved here: Communist revolutionary Pol Pot who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998 once said a casino would exist in this city over his dead body. Well this came true. Not too far from his final resting point you can find Anlong Veng’s first casino.

Chanthaburi to Cambodia: From Chanthaburi there are two border options. One is about an hour bus ride away to Ban Pakard District where the border crossing is to Phsa Prum. Between the two checkpoints the road is very remote. As you near the city (about 1 km from it) you’ll find the 7-Story Crown Diamond Casino and Hotel and a little further is the Victoria Casino Hotel.

The other border is not used much. It connects Ban Laem in Phetchaburi Province with Daun Lem. Here you will find only a small outpost casino.

Thailand to Phnom Penh: The Mecca of gambling in Cambodia is not near a Thai border. It is their capital city Phnom Penh. The top place to visit in Phnom Penh is Nagaworld.

Laos Casinos

The best option for Thais to visit in Laos is no doubt Savan Vegas. . This is a Las Vegas style casino with its own VIP rewards card program, a nice hotel, plenty of slots, table games, and a sportsbook offering football betting.

Savan Vegas is located in the Savannakhet Province of Laos. The border crossing to here is in Thailand’s Mukdahan Province. While it's a bit of a trip, this is the only legit Las Vegas place to gamble within driving distance of Udon Thani and Khon Kaen. It is also a decent option for Ubon Ratchathani residents. For those living outside the general vicinity of these mentioned provinces, it is not too convenient a location. To get here from Bangkok the best way is an AirAsia flight from Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport (DMK) to Nakhon Phanom. From here it is a 90-110 minute bus ride to Mukdahan.

Is Sports Gambling Legal In ThailandIs sports gambling legal in thailand today

There is another Las Vegas style casino in Laos that is not near a Thai border. This is Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort which mostly targets Vietnamese. If interested in visiting you can search on google.co.th for details. However, unless you have another reason to visit, the effort it would take to get there might be better spent going to Singapore or Malaysia, or if having a higher budget, to Macau

Laos, the quiet, laid back country located between Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China, is home to three casinos. One is located in the border city of Savannakhet, another 60 kilometres north of the capital Vientiane, and another near the Thai border in Bokeo Province.


Pha That Luang, Vientiane, Laos I © danou_info

Gambling is technically against the law in Laos, with significant fines for illegal gaming. Despite this, the Laos government has recently established new Special Economic Zones to allow some casinos to operate beyond the reach of the country’s gambling laws.

The casinos of Laos are far from glamorous, but they’re a reasonably good choice for gambling if you’re based in Thailand, can tolerate a fairly limited selection of machines and table games and don’t want to travel to gaming hubs like Singapore, Manila or Macau.

Savannakhet

  • Savannakhet is a provincial capital city in Laos, a short distance from the border with the Thai province of Mukdahan. With a population of 120,000, Savannakhet is the second largest city in Laos, after the capital Vientiane.
  • Savannakhet is home to the Savan Vegas Hotel and Casino — a reasonably large casino that’s aimed squarely at Thais looking to avoid Thailand’s strict gambling laws. Savan Vegas, as well as all other casinos in Laos, uses Thai baht and forbids entry to Lao citizens.
Savan Vegas Hotel & Casino


Savan-Vegas © princeroy

Location: Nongdeune Village, Savannakhet Province. Accessible by bus from the Thai-Laos border.

  • Savan Vegas is a large casino just three kilometres from the Thai border. Open since 2009, it’s one of the largest developments in the Savannakhet area and a major source of tourism for the otherwise quiet city.
  • Rooms are Savan Vegas are simple but reasonably comfortable, with basic furniture and limited hotel services. Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel is poor and the remote location (Savan Vegas is 10 minutes from Savannakhet) means there’s little to do other than gamble.
  • As a casino destination, Savan Vegas is a reasonably good choice. The casino has a gaming area of nearly 5,000 square metres with 500 slot and computer gaming machines and 85 table games.
  • Baccarat, blackjack, roulette, sic bo, Caribbean stud poker and other popular table games are available with low minimum bets. The casino also has a sports book where visitors can bet on football, golf and other popular sports.
Kings Romans Casino
  • The Kings Roman Casino is a new casino in Bokeo Province — a remote part of Laos close to the borders with Thailand, Myanmar and China. The casino, which was developed by Hong Kong-based Kings Romans Group, is primarily marketed towards Chinese tourists.
  • With signs in Chinese and an entire fleet of limousines waiting to pick up VIP guests, the Kings Roman Casino is a somewhat extravagant slice of new money China in an otherwise quiet part of Laos. Thai baht and Chinese yuan are both accepted inside the casino.
  • Classic table games such as baccarat, blackjack and roulette are available, as are a variety of slot machines. There are several restaurants in the casino, some of which serve exotic animals such as tiger and snake for guests.
Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort Casino
  • Located 60 kilometres north of Vientiane on the way to the popular tourist destination of Luang Prabang, Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort Casino is a casino and golf resort. The development has a modern hotel with a swimming pool and spa, several nightclubs and a restaurant.
  • Dansavanh Nam Ngum is a mid-sized casino with a selection of 150 slot and electronic gaming machines and 60 table games. Popular games such as baccarat, blackjack and roulette are all available for guests. Sports betting is also available.
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