With Thailand moving ahead with plans to legalise casinos, trade website Inside Asian Gaming (IAG) has surveyed 15 casino operators on their intentions in the emerging market.
Each operator had “either publicly stated their interest or could be in a realistic position to make a Thailand bid,” its report said. Of them, only six appeared likely to do so – and three of them are based in Macao. The report did not reveal the names of the operators, though it has been widely understood that Melco Resorts & Entertainment recently established a representative office in Bangkok in anticipation of opening a casino there.
The report said that of the three other potential candidates, two were US-based while the third was based elsewhere in Asia.
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IAG said that some of the operators it contacted confirmed they had no intention of applying for a Thai concession, while others said they were more focused on existing operations – but keeping an eye on developments. It noted that the actual number of bidders could end up being higher than six, though given uncertainty around what the finalised legislation would look like, it could also be lower.
The report also pointed to Japan’s flirtation with opening up its gambling industry back in 2018, which resulted in just one casino operator – MGM – receiving a license.
“Although the potential of Thailand to become one of the world’s largest gaming markets is undisputed, many of those seen as potential suitors have been recently burned by the ‘next hottest thing in global gaming’ – Japan springs to mind – and remain wary of committing to the opportunity until more details come to light,” the report said.
