Online gambling drains billions, but Thailand can turn this crisis into growth

Online gambling drains over 150 billion baht from Thailand annually. Explore how this crisis can be turned into an opportunity for national growth and innovation.

Online gambling has seen an alarming outflow of funds from Thailand, with more than 150 billion baht leaving the country annually. It’s time to turn this crisis into an opportunity, to bring that money back and invest it in the country’s development, improving the quality of life for Thai citizens.

A shocking statistic reveals that every year, a vast sum of 150 billion baht is lost through online gambling, contributing to the overall gambling market, which is valued at 3 trillion baht annually, with actual gambling funds reaching 500 billion baht. The continuous outflow of such large amounts of money highlights the opportunity to redirect these funds towards national development.


The hidden issue in the gambling money flow

According to foreign data, which tracks online gambling involving Thai citizens, there is clear evidence that a significant number of Thais are engaged in online gambling through various channels. While exact identification of players remains challenging due to limitations in Digital ID, available data sufficiently outlines the size of the online gambling market in Thailand. Crucially, the money "lost" through these activities does not flow back into Thailand’s economy, but instead goes towards overseas game fees and service costs.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra commented on the matter: "150 billion baht flows out of Thailand each year due to online gambling. This money leaves the country because foreign countries have dashboards that can track how many Thais are gambling online and what devices they use, although they cannot determine age due to the lack of a Digital ID."

"From this data, we can see the gambling turnover, with approximately 3 trillion baht deposited annually, and 500 billion baht actually gambled, but the losses, including game fees and other charges, amount to 150 billion baht."Turning the crisis into an opportunity

Thaksin further discussed how to turn the money lost through gambling into an investment for the country’s development: "The key question is how we can convert the money flowing out of gambling into funds for the nation's progress. There are several avenues we could consider."

Education and research: These funds could support education, research, and technology development, creating quality human resources and innovations that will drive the country’s economy.

Infrastructure: Investment in vital infrastructure such as mass transit systems, clean energy, or high-speed internet would improve the quality of life for citizens and enhance the country's competitiveness.

Target industries: Support industries with high growth potential, such as digital, medical, or health tourism, to generate jobs and income for the country.

Social welfare: Redirect funds to establish social welfare funds, focusing on elderly care, improving the quality of life for children and youth, or providing access to quality public healthcare services.


Challenges and the way forward

Bringing the money flowing out of online gambling back to invest in the country is not easy and presents several challenges, such as legal restrictions, monitoring and controlling the flow of money, and the complexity of online gambling platforms. However, this is an opportunity that must be seriously considered to find solutions. Whether through studying the feasibility of taxing online gambling effectively, collaborating with international bodies to control money outflow, or creating attractive investment alternatives to bring capital back to the country, Thailand must act swiftly.

If we can successfully turn the 150 billion baht lost to gambling into investment for national development, it would lay a strong and sustainable foundation for Thailand’s future economy and society.

(2025/07/19-00:00)