Poker in Laos

Gambling in Laos is banned except for the national lottery, and the Penal Code sets fines and prison terms for other gambling. Licensed casinos exist only in special economic zones and are reserved for foreigners; Lao citizens are not allowed to gamble in them. Poker is played at Alluxi Casino in the Kapok Star Hotel at Van Pak Len, in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (Bokeo province), which hosted the first Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament in June 2025.^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 6, 10]}

• Legal casinos are only in special economic zones (such as Bokeo and Savannakhet) and are for foreigners only.
• Lao citizens are barred from gambling at casinos.
• Article 141 of the Lao Penal Code prohibits illegal gambling.
• Alluxi Casino has a poker room (Athena Club) and accepts mainly Chinese yuan, with Thai baht, US dollars and USDT also used.
• In 2018 the US Treasury sanctioned the Zhao Wei network, which it said operated through the Kings Romans Casino in the Golden Triangle SEZ.

Age: Age 18 for international passport holders at Alluxi Casino, per a poker media venue page; no official source found.^[3]

Online gambling is illegal in Laos and is covered by the Penal Code's gambling offences. Lao police regularly raid online gambling operations; in May 2026 they handed 307 Thai nationals arrested in Vientiane over online gambling and fraud to Thai authorities, citing Article 141 of the Penal Code. In 2022 Laos was reported to be drafting offshore online licences that could not accept customers in Laos, but no domestic-facing licence exists.^{[1, 2, 11]}

Licensed online poker

None

Players can be prosecuted

Yes

Sites blocked

Unclear

Advertising ban

Unclear

• No licensed online poker or casino for players in Laos.
• Online gambling is covered by Penal Code gambling offences (fines and prison).
• May 2026: 307 Thai nationals arrested in Vientiane online gambling and fraud raids were handed over to Thailand.
• A 2022 plan for offshore-only online licences barred customers based in Laos.

Visa

Most visitors need a visa: apply for a Lao eVisa (usable at 9 ports of entry) or get a tourist visa on arrival at main airports and some border crossings; some nationalities are exempt. Since 1 September 2025 foreigners must register online (digital arrival registration) within three days before entry and exit, and you must get an entry stamp. See travel.gc.ca.

Money

The currency is the Lao kip (LAK), hard to exchange outside Laos; US dollars and Thai baht are widely accepted. At Alluxi Casino play is mainly in Chinese yuan, with baht, dollars and USDT accepted.

Casino Entry

Bring your foreign passport: casinos admit only international passport holders, and Lao citizens are not allowed to gamble.

Tax on Winnings

We have not confirmed yet how poker winnings are taxed in Laos. Check with the venue or a tax adviser before you play for large amounts.

The legal answers rest on official sources: laws, regulators, government and courts. News and poker media are marked as secondary sources and are used for the poker scene, not as the only basis of a legal answer.

1. 1.Reizen naar Laos: lokale wetgeving - FPS Foreign Affairs, Belgium, accessed October 28, 2026
2. 2.Lao Police Hand Over Online Scam and Gambling Suspects to Thai Authorities - KPL Lao News Agency, accessed October 28, 2026
3. 3.Alluxi Casino venue guide - SoMuchPoker (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
4. 4.Diving Headfirst Into Alluxi Casino: Laos' New Poker Destination - SoMuchPoker (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
5. 5.$1M Guaranteed Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament On Track to Make History - SoMuchPoker (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
6. 6.Poker in Laos: Guide to Casinos, Legal Rules & Tournaments - SoMuchPoker (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
7. 7.Laos Travel Advisory - U.S. Department of State, accessed October 28, 2026
8. 8.Laos travel advice - Government of Canada, accessed October 28, 2026
9. 9.Treasury Sanctions the Zhao Wei Transnational Criminal Organization - U.S. Department of the Treasury, accessed October 28, 2026
10. 10.Gambling a Foreign Hand - Radio Free Asia (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
11. 11.Laos to mimic POGO model with new offshore licences - iGaming Business (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026