Laos to boost online gambling industry
Laos has plans to issue regulations for offshore online gambling businesses with the aim to attract operators targeting markets elsewhere in Southeast Asia, particularly gambling-free countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.
In a model similar to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGOs, operators that receive a license may set up an online gambling operation in Laos, but may not accept customers who are based in the country, various specialty news portals including iGaming Business and Gambling News reported.
Danny Too, a consultant assisting Laos’ government on the process, said that the government is currently in the process of drawing up its regulations for the sector and plans to publish guidelines for license applications shortly, the reports said.
Master licenses and sub-licenses
Initially, master licenses would be issued to a small number of businesses, which can then contract out sub-licenses to a wider number of businesses, Too said.
The move is mainly motivated by the effect the Covid-19 pandemic had on the gambling industry in Laos, he added.
Pre-pandemic, the country has been mostly relying on its brick-and-mortar gambling business, but this is changing now as the fallout of Covid-19 has had a considerable impact on the gambling industry.
Since Laos only operated brick-and-mortar properties, it has been cut off completely from this revenue, impacting public finances negatively. Meanwhile, illegal gambling operations online proliferated, further depriving the central government of taxable revenue.
Top priority Thai gamblers instead of Chinese
For Laos, the Philippines are seen as a good local example for how the country is administering its online gambling businesses to collect additional revenue.
However, while the Philippines always had a strong focus on Chinese gamblers, Laos is following a different track.
With China increasingly cracking down on the online gambling industry and warning that it would “take action” against countries that host sites offering gambling to its citizens, other countries such as Thailand would instead be the top priority.
Currently, the three main frontrunners to receive master gambling licenses in Laos are all based in Thailand, the reports said.
Laos has plans to issue regulations for offshore online gambling businesses with the aim to attract operators targeting markets elsewhere in Southeast Asia, particularly gambling-free countries such as Thailand and Vietnam. In a model similar to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGOs, operators that receive a license may set up an online gambling operation in Laos, but may not accept customers who are based in the country, various specialty news portals including iGaming Business and Gambling News reported. Danny Too, a consultant assisting Laos' government on the process, said that the government is currently in the process of drawing up...
Laos has plans to issue regulations for offshore online gambling businesses with the aim to attract operators targeting markets elsewhere in Southeast Asia, particularly gambling-free countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.
In a model similar to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGOs, operators that receive a license may set up an online gambling operation in Laos, but may not accept customers who are based in the country, various specialty news portals including iGaming Business and Gambling News reported.
Danny Too, a consultant assisting Laos’ government on the process, said that the government is currently in the process of drawing up its regulations for the sector and plans to publish guidelines for license applications shortly, the reports said.
Master licenses and sub-licenses
Initially, master licenses would be issued to a small number of businesses, which can then contract out sub-licenses to a wider number of businesses, Too said.
The move is mainly motivated by the effect the Covid-19 pandemic had on the gambling industry in Laos, he added.
Pre-pandemic, the country has been mostly relying on its brick-and-mortar gambling business, but this is changing now as the fallout of Covid-19 has had a considerable impact on the gambling industry.
Since Laos only operated brick-and-mortar properties, it has been cut off completely from this revenue, impacting public finances negatively. Meanwhile, illegal gambling operations online proliferated, further depriving the central government of taxable revenue.
Top priority Thai gamblers instead of Chinese
For Laos, the Philippines are seen as a good local example for how the country is administering its online gambling businesses to collect additional revenue.
However, while the Philippines always had a strong focus on Chinese gamblers, Laos is following a different track.
With China increasingly cracking down on the online gambling industry and warning that it would “take action” against countries that host sites offering gambling to its citizens, other countries such as Thailand would instead be the top priority.
Currently, the three main frontrunners to receive master gambling licenses in Laos are all based in Thailand, the reports said.
