Thai officials must remove snooker from gambling-related legislation, say sports advocates, leading politicians, and championship-winning players.
The calls come amid a new Thai snooker boom sparked by Thepchaiya Un-Nooh’s success.
Un-Nooh, nicknamed “F1,” won the World Open in Yushan, China, earlier this month, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan, one of the sport’s all-time greats, in the final.
The Thai star defeated the veteran British star 10 frames to seven, scoring a maximum break of 147 along the way.
However, advocates argue that young would-be Thai snooker stars are hampered in their efforts to follow in Un-Nooh’s footsteps by a law that dates back to 1935.
Thai Snooker Gambling Classification ‘Hurts Players’
The Gambling Act classifies snooker, along with billiards, as a “gambling-like activity,” rather than a sport, the Thai news outlet The Standard reported.
Such non-sporting activities require official permits, which can be hard for smaller clubs to obtain. The same classification effectively bans under-18s from playing snooker.
The classification also limits the development of snooker-related infrastructure, youth development initiatives, and commercial snooker competitions.
Kongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), said the authority would soon submit an official request to the Ministry of Interior, requesting the removal of snooker from the Gambling Act.
The SAT governor said the move would help “elevate snooker” toward recognition as a “fully professional sport.” This, he said, would help pave the way for structural development at both youth and national levels.
The new designation would also help Thai firms and sports bodies organize snooker competitions and generate revenue for the state, Kongsak said.
Champion Speaks Out
The SAT says it will ensure club owners clearly display warning notices about the dangers of gambling during games.
“This is a matter that the SAT needs to discuss with the snooker association,” Kongsak explained. “All parties must clearly define the boundaries involved and demonstrate that our intention in [reclassifying] snooker is genuinely for the sole purpose of promoting it as a sport.”
The SAT and other advocates of the move spoke at a press conference on March 25, urging the government to back their initiative.
Speakers included Un-Nooh, who told media representatives that snooker “has long been part of Thai society,” per the Thai media outlet Thairath Online.
Lawmaker Rakchanok Srinok, a member of the People’s Party, said the government should act quickly in the wake of Un-Nooh’s achievement.
She spoke of the importance of allowing youth prospects to train and earn world-class honors.
In the Spotlight
Thailand’s gambling laws have been in the spotlight in recent years. Last year, the government moved to recognize poker as a sport under former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Bangkok had hoped to attract major poker tournaments to the country and develop integrated casino-resorts.
But following the Constitutional Court’s decision to remove Paetongtarn from her post, the government U-turned, reclassifying poker as a form of gambling.
Anti-gambling activists have also criticized politicians for using lottery-related policies as a vote-winning tool.
Thais reportedly spend around $8 billion per year on lottery tickets. But several political parties told voters they wanted to bolster lotteries.
Going into last month’s general election, the ruling Pheu Thai Party promised to create nine new “millionaires” per day if it won power.
The party said it would revamp existing lotteries to ensure nine ticket-holders per day won a 1 million baht prize, worth over $30,000.
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Thai officials must remove snooker from gambling-related legislation, say sports advocates, leading politicians, and championship-winning players. The calls come amid a new Thai snooker boom sparked by Thepchaiya Un-Nooh’s success. Un-Nooh, nicknamed “F1,” won the World Open in Yushan, China, earlier this month, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan, one of the sport’s all-time greats, in the final.
The post Thai Sports Chiefs Want to Remove Snooker from Gambling Act After Un-Nooh Success appeared first on CasinoBeats.