Government announces its standpoint on poker regulations
In a significant move for Thailand's sports and gambling landscape, poker has been officially recognized as a sport by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) [1][2][5]. This recognition, which came in late July 2025, marks the beginning of a new chapter for poker in the country.
The recognition of poker as a sport is part of a broader effort towards legalizing and formalizing poker and gambling. The government is working on establishing legal frameworks that will be fully implemented later in the year [2].
Following this recognition, Thailand hosted the inaugural World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime Thailand Exhibition from July 30 to August 5, 2025, at the UOB LIVE venue in the EMSPHERE Mall in Bangkok. This event, the first officially recognized live poker tournament under the new status, showcased the government's new acceptance of poker within regulated competitive play [2][3].
The Ministerial Order formalizes poker as a mind sport, bringing it under the jurisdiction and regulatory oversight of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) [1][4][5]. Poker venues such as EMSPHERE are positioned as specialized entertainment complexes where poker and legal gambling will be permitted [2].
While the full details of the regulatory framework are still evolving, with anticipated laws later in 2025, the current approach clearly differentiates legal, official poker events from informal or illegal gambling operations [2][5]. The recognition under mind sport status links poker more to skill-based competition rather than mere chance gambling, enabling its sanctioning akin to chess or bridge within Thailandβs official sports and mind-sport federations [4].
It's important to note that if poker events involve betting or lack official approval, they are considered illegal [6]. All tournaments must go through the sanctioned association and follow legal steps [8]. The Tourism and Sports Ministry is setting up an authorized association to oversee poker as a sport [9].
The ban on poker due to concerns about excessive gambling losses has been lifted with the new directive [10]. However, poker is being recognized as a sport, not the legalization of gambling in general. Events involving poker must strictly exclude betting [7].
The move to recognize poker as a sport is not linked to the government's controversial entertainment complex initiative, according to Mr. Sorawong [11]. The process of recognizing poker as a sport is being handled through official sports governance [12].
In conclusion, poker in Thailand is now formally a recognized sport regulated by the sports authority, with legalized play restricted to authorized venues and tournaments under government oversight following recent ministerial actions [1][2][4][5]. This framework aims to integrate poker into Thailand's evolving legal gambling environment while promoting its acceptance as a mind and skill sport.
In the evolving legal gambling landscape of Thailand, the government is working towards formalizing poker games and casinos, with a focus on creating a specialized entertainment complex like EMSPHERE Mall in Bangkok, where legal poker, among other gambling activities, will be permitted. As a result of the government's actions, poker, previously considered a form of gambling, is now recognized as a mind sport by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), and events involving this skill-based competition will be sanctioned similarly to chess or bridge.
