The Game Industry Act is expected to be passed into law by the House of Representatives during the new government’s tenure.
Three Asian countries have a game industry law: Japan, South Korea and China.
Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, president and chief executive of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), said the agency is hopeful the government can pass the law as new Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaichanok Chidchob has been eager to promote the e-sport sector.
The bill passed a public hearing and was approved by a revolving fund committee of the Comptroller-General’s Department.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission also earmarked a budget to support industry development under the law.
Mr Nuttapon said depa made an informal presentation on updated information related to the bill to the DES minister.
The DES Ministry assigned depa to draft the bill, which covers all dimensions of digital game businesses and services.
Some public and non-profit organisations are concerned that online games may promote gambling. They are calling for definitions and supervision of the game industry, with clear regulations and a registration system that balance monitoring and promoting the gaming ecosystem.
Gaming rules are not limited to internet cafes, also covering online and mobile platforms.
The bill aims to deal with the sophisticated development of the game sector, which is valued at 30-40 billion baht per year.
The law also seeks to promote Thailand as a regional gaming hub.
The bill regulates the registration of all types of games, particularly those with gambling features, such as lucky draw games, or games with points-based reward systems.
Government agencies have been unable to effectively supervise these games due to the lack of a clear legal framework.
Once the law comes into force, cyber police can immediately block unregistered games and verify which games meet international standards and which pose a potential risk of fraud.
“The law is not a barrier, but rather a mechanism to regulate the gaming market to ensure fairness and facilitate free and responsible market competition,” said Mr Nuttapon.
He said the law should also promote the Thai gaming industry to be more competitive globally.
THREE NEW COMMITTEES
The act comprises five elements: improving game definitions, establishing related committees, game registration, supervision, and an industry promotion fund.
Mr Nuttapon said three committees will be established after the law comes into force, for registration, supervision headed by cyber and provincial police, and industry promotion.
He said each committee will have distinct roles to prevent overlapping duties.
In related news, Thailand is preparing to host the Gamescom Asia event for the first time.
The event is scheduled for Oct 16-19 in Bangkok, organised by depa and several partners.
The previous four editions of the event were held in Singapore.
Mr Nuttapon said Gamescom is a global forum for the gaming business and an important opportunity to demonstrate Thailand’s position as a leader in the gaming industry in Asia.
He said if the game industry law is enacted soon, it will build confidence among investors worldwide and enhance the image of the Thai gaming industry on the international stage.