Gambling is mostly banned in Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second largest economy, apart from state-controlled horse racing, the lottery and on some sports but successive governments have pressed the case for allowing casinos to draw in more foreign visitors and create more jobs and state revenue.

But the latest draft approved by Cabinet will significantly limit how many Thai punters can go to casinos, with an entry fee of 5,000 baht and proof of at least 50 million baht in bank deposits ($1.47 million), effectively blocking large swathes of the population, where per capita gross domestic product is about US$7,300.

A deputy finance minister had earlier in March said the assets requirement for Thai nationals would be dropped because it would exclude too many people.

Another restriction is that the casino area may only occupy up to 10% of the entire space of an entertainment complex, according to a government statement.

The draft law will be sent to Parliament, and if passed, will also need approval from the Senate and the king.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra told reporters the details of the law were not final as Parliament would have the final say.