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 Laos · Question 02 of 11

# Licensing and regulation: Can we get a licence?

Unfavourable · Probable · AI-generated · [Back to full Laos report →](https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/laos/)

Key section parameters

| Jurisdiction | Laos (LA) |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Ministry of Finance (MoF) & Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) |
| Favourability | Unfavourable |
| Confidence | Probable |
| Review status | AI-generated |
| Last collected | 19 Oct 2026 |

Summary answer

Licensing in Laos runs on two distinct tracks rather than a unified gaming-licence regime. The first is the Special Economic Zone casino concession, an exclusive-right grant whose approval is reserved to the National Assembly under Article 49 of the Investment Promotion Law of 2016, functioning as t…

## Full section analysis

Licensing in Laos runs on two distinct tracks rather than a unified gaming-licence regime. The first is the Special Economic Zone casino concession, an exclusive-right grant whose approval is reserved to the National Assembly under Article 49 of the Investment Promotion Law of 2016, functioning as the sole route into land-based casino gaming for a foreign investor. The second is the Ministry of Finance's administration of the state lottery as a monopoly, a position resting on ministry practice rather than a confirmed standalone statute. Both tracks sit beneath the overarching criminal prohibition of Article 141 of the Penal Code, which criminalises gambling by Lao citizens, with warnings, fines, and escalating prosecution on repeat offence. No licensing instrument exists for a business-to-business software or platform supplier, a structural absence rather than a restrictive condition, meaning there is no conventional B2B entry route of the kind available in other regional gaming markets.