Most Thais against legalising gambling, casinos, survey finds
NIDA Poll conducted a nationwide survey titled “Legal Casinos” from December 6 to 8. In the survey, 1,318 respondents aged 18 and above and from different backgrounds were asked four questions. Here are their answers:
Have you visited a casino?
93.70%: Never
4.40%: Yes but outside Thailand
0.91%: Been to casinos both in Thailand and overseas
0.91%: Been to casinos in Thailand
0.08%: Unsure
Should casinos be legalised in Thailand?
46.51%: No, because it creates addicts, causes family conflicts, debt problems and crime. Gambling goes against Buddhist precepts.
21.25%: Yes, because the government can collect taxes to develop the country and Thais will not have to travel overseas for gambling. Illegal gambling will be difficult to wipe out despite the presence of legal casinos.
18.13%: Yes because it will stimulate the economy and generate more money.
10.32%: Not quite, because gambling is wrong and can lead to more debt and crime problems.
3.79%: Don’t know/won’t answer/don’t care.
What about electronic gambling kiosks and online gambling?
68.51%: No
23.37%: Yes
2.28%: Only electronic gambling kiosks should be legalised.
2.05%: Online gambling should be legalised.
3.79%: Don’t know/won’t answer/don’t care.
What about card games between families and friends?
47.72%: No
33.54%: Yes, but with rules such as controlled number of players, bet limits, location, etc.
14.87%: Yes
3.87%: Don’t know/won’t answer/don’t care.