BANGKOK – Thailand’s government executed a significant policy reversal on Wednesday, issuing an immediate and strict ban on all permits for playing poker. The move is part of a new, hardline anti-gambling stance that explicitly rejects the legalization of casinos and “entertainment complexes.”
The order (No. 3179/2568), issued by the Ministry of Interior, abruptly halts a growing domestic poker scene and signals a definitive end to years of debate over whether Thailand should legalize gambling to boost tourism and state revenue.
The directive, effective immediately, is a direct implementation of a new social policy announced by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul during a parliamentary address on September 29, 2025. In that statement, the Prime Minister pledged to “seriously crack down on all forms of illegal gambling” and clarified that the government “will not support the legalization of any type of gambling business.”
This new policy specifically undermines long-discussed proposals for integrated casino resorts, a recurring topic among business leaders and previous administrations. The government’s statement explicitly noted it “will not support entertainment complexes that include gambling businesses,” including “gambling that is disguised in the form of sports, such as poker.”
The order, signed by Mr. Anutin in his concurrent role as Minister of Interior, revokes a more lenient directive from July 30, 2025, which had allowed for a permitting process. The ban is enacted under the authority of Thailand’s long-standing Gambling Act of 1935.
Key Takeaways
- Immediate Ban: Permits for playing poker and a similar local card game (“Phae cards”) are strictly prohibited, effective October 22, 2025. The government has officially classified poker as a form of gambling, not a sport.
- Casino Legalization Shelved: The government has explicitly stated it “will not support” the development of “entertainment complexes” that include gambling. This decision effectively freezes all business and investment proposals for integrated casino resorts in the country.
- New Government Policy: The crackdown is a cornerstone of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s new social policy, which aims to eradicate all forms of gambling rather than regulate them.
- Reversal of Previous Stance: The new directive (No. 3179/2568) cancels a more permissive order from July 2025, signaling a rapid and decisive change in regulatory direction under the new administration.
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