{"id":9603,"date":"2025-08-06T09:22:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T09:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/06\/update-thailand-clears-the-way-for-regulated-poker-tournaments-after-new-ruling\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T09:22:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T09:22:27","slug":"update-thailand-clears-the-way-for-regulated-poker-tournaments-after-new-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/06\/update-thailand-clears-the-way-for-regulated-poker-tournaments-after-new-ruling\/","title":{"rendered":"Update: Thailand Clears the Way for Regulated Poker Tournaments After New Ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>After we <a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/poker-news\/poker-now-legal-in-thailand-following-government-reclassification\/\">reported<\/a> last week that poker had been officially classified as a skill game in Thailand, the next steps have now started to fall into place. The recent update confirms what many had hoped for \u2014 regulated poker tournaments will be allowed in the country, but only under strict guidelines.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><strong><em>Good to know<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Only poker events approved by a future official sports association will be permitted.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Betting during games remains illegal under Thailand\u2019s Gambling Act.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Poker still falls under activities needing special approval \u2014 it\u2019s not freely allowed.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p>Thailand\u2019s Ministry of Tourism and Sports confirmed that poker is now being formally recognized as a competitive sport. However, this doesn\u2019t mean everyday poker games are suddenly legal. The change only applies to sanctioned events and tournaments \u2014 and only after proper structures are in place.<\/p>\n<p>As reported by the <em>Bangkok Post<\/em> today, Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong explained the reasoning behind the move. <em>\u201cWe are not trying to legalise gambling. Globally, poker is already adopted as a sport. I expect it will eventually be recognised in events like the Asian Games,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n<p>Interior Minister and acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai signed a new order (No. 2253\/2568) on July 30 that scraps the decades-old 1958 directive that had banned poker entirely. That original ban was based on fears of gambling-related harm, but officials say times have changed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"main-org-3-item-ins box-100 relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-items box-100 relative\">\n<div class=\"box-100 space-org-3-item relative border-tb mt-1 \">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-ins box-100 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-logo-title-box box-100 text-left relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-box box-25 relative img-radius\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/betus\/\" title=\"Visit Site\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<amp-img alt=\"BetUS\" src=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/BetUS.png.webp\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" layout=\"fixed\"><br \/>\n\t\t<\/amp-img><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-title box-25 relative py-10\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/betus\/\" title=\"BetUS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">BetUS<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-terms box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-terms-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n\t\t<strong><strong>Get 125% \/ $2,500 on 1st deposit!<\/strong><\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"pt-1\">New players only. Exclusive Welcome Bonus of up to $2,500<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-rating box-25 relative mb-10\">\n<div class=\"rating-box text-center box-100  relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-rating-box relative\">\n<div class=\"stars\"><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-rating-notice relative\">Casino &#038; Sports<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\n\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-button box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-button-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/betus\/\" title=\"Visit Site\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\tVisit Site<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The updated order still places poker under Category B of Thailand\u2019s Gambling Act. That means it requires special permission and cannot be played casually or privately \u2014 at least not legally.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cIt\u2019s not full deregulation,\u201d<\/em> said Sorawong.<em> \u201cPoker can only be played during specific events, and only after a formal Poker Sports Association is established.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) pushed for the reclassification of poker as a sport. While the SAT board has already approved the idea, more steps are needed before tournaments can begin. These include a demonstration event and full establishment of an authorised association to oversee everything.<\/p>\n<p>Chanin Rungthanakiat, secretary to the interior minister, said the recent order reflects a modern understanding of poker. The aim is to distinguish between competitive, skill-based play and traditional gambling.<\/p>\n<div class=\"main-org-3-item-ins box-100 relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-items box-100 relative\">\n<div class=\"box-100 space-org-3-item relative border-tb mt-1 \">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-ins box-100 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-logo-title-box box-100 text-left relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-box box-25 relative img-radius\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/7-bit-casino\/\" title=\"Visit Site\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<amp-img alt=\"7Bit Casino\" src=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/7BitCasino.png.webp\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" layout=\"fixed\"><br \/>\n\t\t<\/amp-img><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-logo-title box-25 relative py-10\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/7-bit-casino\/\" title=\"7Bit Casino\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">7Bit Casino<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-terms box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-terms-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n\t\t<strong>177% up to 5BTC + 77 <strong>\u00a0Free Spins<\/strong>!<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"pt-1\">New players only. Exclusive Welcome Bonus of 177% + 77 Free Spins\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-rating box-25 relative mb-10\">\n<div class=\"rating-box text-center box-100  relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-rating-box relative\">\n<div class=\"stars\"><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><span class=\"star on\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-rating-notice relative\">Casino<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\n\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-button box-25 relative\">\n<div class=\"space-org-3-item-button-ins box-100 text-center relative\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/site\/7-bit-casino\/\" title=\"Visit Site\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\tVisit Site<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Still, Sorawong made it clear that betting is not allowed, regardless of poker\u2019s sport status. <em>\u201cIf any form of betting is involved, it\u2019s illegal. People cannot casually play poker unless permission has been granted,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n<p>When asked whether unsanctioned poker games would be treated as gambling, Sorawong didn\u2019t hesitate:<em> \u201cYes \u2014 if it involves betting or lacks official approval, it\u2019s illegal.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He also denied any connection between the poker decision and the government\u2019s broader entertainment complex plans. <em>\u201cIt\u2019s completely unrelated,\u201d<\/em> he said. <em>\u201cThe Interior Minister remains concerned about gambling \u2014 illegal gambling remains a criminal offence.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In short, poker has a green light in Thailand, but only under tightly controlled conditions. There\u2019s now a path forward for tournaments and official events, but the casual poker table is still off-limits unless it\u2019s fully cleared by the right channels.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/poker-news\/thailand-confirms-poker-can-be-played-at-sanctioned-events\/\">Update: Thailand Clears the Way for Regulated Poker Tournaments After New Ruling<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/igaming.org\/\">iGaming.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After we reported last week that poker had been officially classified as a skill game in Thailand, the next steps have now started to fall into place. The recent update confirms what many had hoped for \u2014 regulated poker tournaments will be allowed in the country, but only under strict guidelines. Good to know Only [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poker"],"blocksy_meta":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9603\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}