Is Online Sports Betting Illegal in Thailand?

Thailand offers countless reasons to visit. It features exotic wildlife, endless beaches, ancient temples, and a fascinating culture. With that said, you might be interested in checking out Thailand for a getaway—that’s if you haven’t already.

Assuming you’re a sports bettor who does make the trip, then you may also be wondering if online sports betting is illegal here. After all, Thailand features some of the world’s strictest gambling laws.

This guide covers the Thai gambling laws and what it means for mobile sports betting. It also offers advice on if you’ll be okay legally when placing online wagers here.

Thailand Prohibits Most Forms of Gambling

The Gambling Act of 1935 dictates Thailand’s betting and gaming industry. This archaic legislation only allows for state-run lotteries and betting on horse races.

Therefore, you won’t be able to enjoy legal and regulated land-based sportsbooks, casinos, or poker rooms in the “Land of Smiles.”

Underground bookies and casinos do operate in various parts of the country. Bangkok especially features a heavy concentration of illegal gambling establishments.

“Illegal” is the keyword here, though, because the authorities don’t have much tolerance for underground bookmakers. They often conduct raids against those who run such operations.

You’re unlikely to even know about any of these underground venues when simply visiting Thailand. But if you do stumble upon one, then you should have second thoughts about placing any bets.

After all, bookies are likely to get busted at some point. You certainly don’t want to be on their list if you do get caught by the Royal Thai Police (RTP).

Thailand’s Buddhist Culture Frowns upon Gambling

This country’s culture and religion have much to do with why it allows very little gambling. 95% of Thailand’s population is Buddhist.

Buddhism teaches that gambling is a major sin. Unsurprisingly, government officials were quick to ban many forms of gambling when drafting the 1935 legislation.

Of course, not everybody in this nation follows Buddhism to a T. The same crowd isn’t as against gambling as the traditionalists.

Nevertheless, most of the country seems fine with the anti-gambling stance. With this heavy Buddhist population, the status quo will likely remain in place for a long time.

You can decide if you want to gamble, no matter what your religious background is. But you still have to know the law where you live.

What’s Thailand’s Stance on Online Sports Betting?

Those who created the Gambling Act of 1935 obviously couldn’t have accounted for mobile sports betting. This law hasn’t been amended to include anything about online sports wagering either.

Therefore, the Gambling Act doesn’t specifically mention anything about internet betting. Certain language in the Gambling Act, though, makes for the possibility that mobile betting could be illegal.

At best, real money online sports betting is a gray area in Thailand. At worst, regulators consider it illegal just like wagering at a land-based sportsbook.

Legal Action Revolves Around Local Bookies

You can see that the subject of Thailand online sports betting is murky. Nothing in the country’s laws covers mobile wagering, but the government mostly takes an anti-gambling stance.

If you’re worried about a Thai SWAT team busting through your hotel room because you placed a mobile sports bet, though, don’t be.

The authorities are mainly worried about preventing locals from running illegal bookmaking operations. In fact, they have busted several underground gambling rings like this.

Offshore Sportsbooks Commonly Serve Thailand

You can see that Thailand is quite strict when it comes to their gambling laws. Authorities will take swift action if they find anybody running an illegal bookmaking operation.

Nevertheless, offshore sportsbooks serve this country. They see Thailand as a lucrative market and take advantage of the situation.

These mobile bookmakers cover a wide range of sports, including soccer (football), tennis, badminton, basketball, cricket, golf, and more.

With that said, you won’t be at a loss for online betting options in this country. You can choose from hundreds of offshore bookmakers when either visiting or living here.

Why Are Betting Sites Willing to Break Thai Laws?

The unlicensed betting sites that serve Thailand definitely aren’t legal. They’re no more approved than the underground casinos and bookmakers operating within Thailand’s borders.

Why then are so many unlicensed betting sites serving this nation? The big reason is that they know they can get away with it.

The RTP is mainly concerned with stopping any illegal gambling ring that’s operating on its soil. After all, the national police have jurisdiction in this scenario.

On the other hand, it’s much more difficult for Thai authorities to go after a bookmaker that’s operating in, say, Costa Rica or Curacao.

Moreover, mobile sportsbooks may be operating within the bounds of the jurisdiction where they’re located. They’d have a good case, or at least a decent legal defense, if the Thai government suddenly decided to go after them.

Will You Get Arrested for Online Sports Betting in Thailand?

You stand almost no chance of getting arrested when placing online bets in this country. I can’t find one single example of the RTP arresting somebody just for placing mobile bets.

You quite possibly are breaking the law when betting online in Thailand. However, this country has no previous standard for going after internet bettors.

The government is mainly concerned with stopping local bookies. They have no interest in exhausting resources and manpower to chase online sports bettors.

If they ever plan on arresting anybody for mobile betting, they’re unlikely to start with tourists. Thailand heavily relies on its tourism as an income generator. It doesn’t want to create headlines for busting amateur sports bettors.

Of course, the tiny sliver of a possibility exists that you could become the first person arrested just for placing online bets in Thailand. Again, though, it’s a highly unlikely scenario.

Do Your Research on Thailand Mobile Sportsbooks

This country doesn’t feature a regulated online sports betting market. Therefore, you’ll be dealing with unlicensed bookmakers that may or may not be trustworthy.

You should consider the following tips when researching any potential Thai online sportsbooks. You’ll find a lot of this information through reviews on betting sites.

Reputation

Offshore bookmakers don’t always have the greatest reputations due to a few bad apples. However, they can be worthwhile in many cases.

You just need to search for Thailand betting sites that carry a good reputation. Specifically, you’ll want to find online sportsbooks that’ve been in business for a while and have few customer complaints.

Wait Time on Payouts

Mobile bookmakers need time to process withdrawals. However, they shouldn’t be taking a week to handle a simple e-wallet cashout requests.

A sportsbook that takes too long to make payments could be suffering financially and dipping into customers’ funds. You want to avoid these situations at all costs and only pick sites that pay on time.

Fair Bonus Terms

Many online sportsbooks offer bonuses to draw new customers and keep existing bettors. Of course, they should put fair terms and conditions behind any of these deals.

Fair terms ensure that you have a realistic chance to earn bonus funds. In contrast, vague or malicious terms give bookmakers the chance to avoid honoring bonuses when you earn them.

Customer Support

You don’t want to deal with rude and unprofessional customer support reps. Unfortunately, some reps like this exist in the industry.

That said, you should look through internet sportsbook reviews to find out how their support teams behave. You might even consider contacting customer service yourself for a first-hand experience.

Conclusion

Online sports gambling lies in a gray area in Thailand. The Gambling Act of 1935 doesn’t necessarily claim that internet betting is prohibited.

It most likely is illegal, though, when considering that the Gambling Act only allows for horse betting and lotteries. But the federal government doesn’t seem overly concerned with mobile gambling at offshore sites.

With that in mind, you should have no trouble placing online bets if you’re in Thailand. You just want to be sure and choose a reputable betting site when placing wagers here. After all, none of the Thai betting sites are actually licensed or operating within the country.