Should we legalize gambling in Thailand?

Should gambling be legalized? Legalized gambling is a controversial issue. Many countries have legalized gambling such as the United States but in my hometown, Thailand, it still infringes the law. However legalized gambling can bring many advantages to a country and it can be easy to control. It has been claimed, “The government is trying to legalize gambling for economic reasons. It expects to get more tax and money from foreign tourists, and also from Thais who go to gamble in neighboring countries” (Sangsit, 2004). On the other hand, gambling can destroy the old culture of a conservative point of view because it may be an easy way to increase the number of criminals in Thailand. This essay will describe the main similarities and differences between gambling in the US and in Thailand.

People begin gambling for a variety of reasons including fun, relaxation, excitement, and the hope of being a millionaire. After a whole week of working hard, people turns to other things for relaxing so gambling is an alternative. According to Phongpaichit (1999) “an estimated 70 percent of adults gamble regularly and spend money possible, over 200 billion a year”. Players can be a part of the game and gambling makes people feel excited. Moreover, most gamblers believe gambling is an easy way to be a millionaire compared with working hard at a job.

To begin with, similar types of placing bet in Thailand and the US is the national lottery which is legal. In the US, the government provides the national lottery and an online website for gamblers. Everyone can join the lotto except children who are younger than 16 years old. The prize of the lotto will depend on how many tickets are sold and how many people match the same quantity of numbers and then the jackpot will be split between the winners. For example the estimated jackpot online lottery reported is 4,500,000 dollars that was divided into many equal amounts for each winner. Compared with Thailand, The government lottery office (2008) said, “The maximum prize already set at 92,000,000 baht”*. The lotto has drawn twice a month on the 15th and the 30th of every month.

On the other hand, Thailand and the US still have some differences in this issue. Casinos were legalized in the US; in contrast, gambling problems have been found in Thailand including underground lotteries, football gambling, cock fighting and casino because all of them are illegal.

For the future trend, if Thai government will push to legalize gambling, the government can save the time needed to quell the illegal gambling that has spread in all areas in Thailand. However, if this business is easy to launch, then they may face many problems of it such as mafia gangs, increased compulsive gambling and lower household savings. Both Thailand and the United states have to manage and look carefully with very stringent laws.

In conclusion, there are many strong arguments both in favor and against legalized gambling. The Thai government needs to think carefully and find a way to learn from the problems occurred of the United States and other countries if the government passes gambling acts.