Thai authorities probe Cambodian SEA Games jackets over NagaWorld casino logo, widen scrutiny to pageant gambling promos

Thai sports officials have opened an investigation into Cambodian athletes whose SEA Games jackets displayed the NagaWorld casino logo, adding to growing scrutiny of gambling-related branding after police launched a separate probe into Miss Universe organisers for promoting an online casino in Bangkok.

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has confirmed that it is investigating whether Cambodian athletes violated Thai law by wearing jackets featuring the logo of NagaWorld, a major Cambodian casino resort operated by NagaCorp. The logo appeared beneath the Cambodian flag on team jackets during an official ASEAN flag-raising ceremony at Bangkok’s Indoor Stadium Hua Mark on 8 December, ahead of the 33rd SEA Games.

SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee said the authority will coordinate with the Department of Provincial Administration to determine whether the display breaches Thailand’s strict ban on advertising illegal gambling. He added that the SAT will “take action in accordance with the findings” of the review, following a wave of social-media criticism questioning why a casino brand was visible on official team attire at a multi-sport event hosted in Thailand.

The case emerges just weeks after Thai police opened an investigation into the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) over alleged promotion of a Philippine-based online casino during pre-pageant activities in Bangkok. In early November, officers raided the pageant’s host hotel after a Filipino contestant was filmed posing with branding for Playtime, an online gambling site licensed by PAGCOR, in what authorities and local media described as a potential violation of Thailand’s anti-gambling advertising laws.

Taken together, the two episodes highlight how gambling-linked sponsorships and branding are colliding with Thailand’s hard-line stance on betting promotion. For sports bodies, pageant organisers and sponsors across the region, the message is clear: gambling logos and campaigns that are acceptable in one jurisdiction can trigger legal and reputational risks when they cross into Thailand’s much tighter regulatory environment.