Snooker has not yet been removed from the gambling list; the sport itself is not wrong—it depends on the people. Golf betting per hole is still allowed.
The draft amendment to the Gambling Act aiming to remove snooker from the gambling annex failed to proceed because the Prime Minister did not endorse the bill, sparking widespread criticism, especially from the snooker community.
The bill was proposed by Non Paisanlimjaroenkij, a Member of Parliament from Nonthaburi, and Rakchanok Srinok, a party-list MP from the Prachachon Party, together with the President of the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand and several former and current national snooker players. The goal was to remove snooker and billiards from the gambling annex B list.
Reasons why the government did not endorse the bill
The government had its own reasons. The refusal came from the opinions of three main agencies: the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance, and the Office of the Council of State. The Ministry of Interior warned the bill might create enforcement loopholes, allowing some venues to be used for illegal gambling. Meanwhile, the Bhumjaithai Party MPs reaffirmed their position of opposing the expansion of legalized gambling and maintaining strict control principles.
The snooker community itself did not accept this easily. Former Thai national snooker players questioned that this is not just an issue for a particular group but concerns the future of the sport and Thai athletes.
The key question is: What is wrong with the sport of snooker?
The sport of snooker itself is no different from other sports. It requires high skill, concentration, and technique, much like golf. Snooker has been listed as gambling since 1935, reflecting a social context very different from today. Meanwhile, popular sports in Thailand that are heavily bet on, like football, boxing, or even golf, are not listed similarly.
Frankly speaking, almost every sport can be used for betting—not just snooker. Golf is a clear example. Many amateur golfers who play rounds together often bet on every hole, with stakes ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of baht.
Additional information revealed that holes 9 and 18 are called "Turbo holes" because bets placed here pay double to the winner. This has long been known within the Thai golf community.
There is also the term "Yod" (pronounced "Yod Oh"), meaning "carry over." When players reach the last hole, the side that has been winning overall asks the losing side if they want to carry over the bet. If the losing side agrees, the last hole is played for the entire accumulated bet from the previous 17 holes. If the losing side wins the last hole, the carryover is canceled. But if they lose again, they must pay double the amount.
The problem might lie with the "players," not the "sport" itself.
What turns any sport into gambling is not the rules or competition format, but the behavior of players betting money on outcomes. Whether snooker, golf, football, or even running races, if two parties agree to wager money on win or loss, it becomes gambling.
Therefore, the debate has two clear perspectives: one is whether the law should be updated to reflect modern times by removing globally professional sports from the outdated gambling list, allowing Thai athletes to compete and train legally, which would support income generation and new career opportunities for Thais.