Former senator questions govt’s hidden motives behind online gambling legalisation

Former senator Wallop Tangkhananurak has expressed doubts about the cabinet’s decision to legalise online gambling, warning that it could backfire on the government.

The decision was not included in the cabinet’s official resolution this week, but was revealed by Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong on Tuesday.

Prasert stated that legal revisions will be made to decriminalise online gambling, adding that the process will be expedited and that giving online gambling a legal status is an urgent government policy.

File photo: Wallop Tangkhananurak

Wallop noted that, when Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced the cabinet’s resolutions on Monday, she did not mention the decriminalisation of online gambling, suggesting that there might be something suspicious about the government’s hurried actions.

Wallop added that the move follows a recent political campaign statement by the prime minister’s father, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who remains a shadowy figure in Thai politics.

He described the move as a potential disaster for Thai society, arguing that it could significantly alter societal values and negatively impact the mindset of the younger generation.

The Thai public’s attitudes toward gambling would shift, he said, adding that gambling contradicts HM King Rama IX’s Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, as gamblers are inherently driven by greed.

“The government appears to be so hungry for money that it is willing to do anything to obtain it, even by justifying what is wrong,” he stated.

Wallop also criticised Prasert for announcing a crackdown on illegal online gambling, only to later agree to legalise it as hypocritical.

“The premier is the mother of two young children, so she should consider carefully whether she wants to create a society plagued by vices. It seems as though she will pass on an inheritance of sin to the next generation,” Wallop, widely recognised as a staunch advocate for social and ethical cause, opined.