Anutin has not closed the door on removing snooker from gambling restrictions. He declared he will argue the case if government agencies oppose it. Before he developed myopia, he was even a runner-up champion. He said that as a child, he viewed snooker as a skill-enhancing sport, not a vice.
On 18 Sep 2026 at Government House, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul addressed the issue of People's Party MPs complaining that he had not signed to remove snooker from the Gambling Act of 1935, which they say hinders support for the sport. The Prime Minister said he will re-examine the matter and consult with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior. The process is still under consideration.
Regarding a document revealed yesterday showing the Prime Minister's disapproval due to some agencies' view that it requires amendment as a financial law, the Prime Minister said the matter has not yet reached him. For him, snooker is a sport; before he developed myopia, he was a runner-up champion. He will carefully consider the issue because in his view, when he played snooker and billiards as a child, he did not see it as a vice or gambling. He played to develop skills because it is a sport.
As for whether loopholes allowing illegal acts might be closed, the Prime Minister said that if illegal acts occur, it would be through gambling. But this is not gambling like in casinos or illegal dens. This is his personal view, but he must first hear official opinions. If the government agencies' opinions are unreasonable, he is ready to argue his case.