Thailand plans to pass a new bill by the end of 2025 to regulate online and social gaming and better manage its growing gaming sector.
Thailand’s lawmakers are advancing the Game Industry Act, a bill that would formally regulate online and social gaming by the end of 2025. The legislation marks a significant step toward legitimizing and structuring the country’s rapidly growing gaming sector, just months after lawmakers rejected a proposal to legalize casinos.
Drafted in March, the Game Industry Act aims to create a national gaming regulator and draw clear lines between social gaming and online gambling. It would ensure that in-game features such as lucky draws and point-based rewards remain within legal limits, while empowering law enforcement to block unregistered titles and monitor compliance. The law would also introduce a tax framework for developers and operators.
“The law is not a barrier but a mechanism to regulate the gaming market, ensuring fairness and supporting free and responsible competition,” said Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, head of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA). DEPA developed the bill in collaboration with the Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Ministry of Culture.
According to the Bangkok Post, Nuttapon said the act would boost Thailand’s competitiveness in the global gaming and esports markets.
A growing market
Thailand’s gaming industry is currently valued at up to 40 billion baht ($1.23 billion) and could grow to 100 billion baht ($3.06 billion) within the next decade, Nuttapon told the Post in April.
“This industry offers enormous potential,” he said. “Games connect to many sectors, from education and entertainment to sports, and reflect cultural identity shared across the region.”
While Thailand’s social gaming revenue continues to grow, it remains small compared to the potential of a legalized casino industry. Analysts estimate that integrated casino resorts could generate 308 trillion baht in annual gross gaming revenue, which would make Thailand the world’s third-largest gaming market, behind only Macau and Las Vegas.
Earlier this year, the Thai cabinet approved the Entertainment Complex Bill, which would have allowed five integrated resorts with casinos across the country. Supporters of the bill included then-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, both advocates for regulated land-based and online gambling.
Despite strong public opposition, the bill seemed close to passage until July. The lawmakers shelved it following Paetongtarn’s mishandling of a border dispute with Cambodia. In August, a court convicted her of ethical misconduct, leading to her impeachment. Her successor, Anutin Charnvirakul, has since made it clear that casino legalization will not move forward under his administration.
Thailand to lead ASEAN in game regulation
If passed, the Game Industry Act would make Thailand the first ASEAN nation with dedicated game regulation. They would be the fourth country in Asia to do so, after China, Japan, and South Korea.
Adding to the momentum, Gamescom Asia 2025, one of the world’s largest gaming conventions, will be held in Bangkok for the first time. Previously hosted in Singapore, the event bills itself as “the biggest B2B2C platform for the games industry in Southeast Asia.”
With its new legislation, Thailand is positioning itself as a rising force in Asia’s digital entertainment economy.
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