WPT Prime Is Heading to Thailand
The World Poker Tour® (WPT) is poised to make a historic entry into Thailand with the inaugural WPT® Prime Thailand tournament in Bangkok. This event, scheduled for 2025, is supported by Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), highlighting the country's commitment to promoting mind sports tourism.
Keta Ozolina, WPT's Vice President of Tour and Business Development, emphasized the global recognition of Texas Hold’em as a leading mind sport and its potential to boost tourism and local economies. The WPT plans to host the tournament seasonally, starting with one event per season and scaling up to three to four events annually. This initiative aims to create sustainable job opportunities and establish a thriving poker mind sports ecosystem in Thailand.
Importantly, as poker is recognized as a mind sport, WPT events in Thailand can be held outside of casinos, allowing for greater flexibility in venue selection and compliance with current Thai laws.
In parallel with this development, Thailand is making significant strides toward legalizing casinos. In January 2025, the Thai Cabinet approved the draft Integrated Entertainment Business Bill, which proposes the establishment of casino-entertainment complexes in four major tourist provinces: Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. Under the proposed legislation, casinos would be integrated into larger entertainment complexes, with the casino area limited to 10% of the total space. Thai nationals would be required to pay a 5,000 baht entry fee and demonstrate a three-year tax history to gain access, while foreigners would have free entry. The bill is currently under parliamentary review and, if passed, is expected to attract significant investment and boost tourism revenue.
Currently, most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, with exceptions for state-controlled horse racing and the lottery. However, the proposed legislation reflects a shift in policy aimed at curbing illegal gambling and enhancing the country's appeal as a global tourism and entertainment hub.
The convergence of the WPT's expansion into Thailand and the government's move toward legalizing casinos underscores a transformative period for the country's gaming and tourism industries. As Thailand positions itself as a center for mind sports and entertainment, these developments are poised to have a lasting impact on the nation's economic and cultural landscape.
This article was written by the Globetrotting Poker team with support from AI content tools and human editors.