Cambodian Government Announces Ban on Ring Pull & Bottle Cap Prize Promotions for Alcohol Products and Sugary Drinks Starting October

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Cambodian Government Announces Ban on Ring Pull & Bottle Cap Prize Promotions for Alcohol Products and Sugary Drinks Starting October
Cambodian Government Announces Ban on Ring Pull & Bottle Cap Prize Promotions for Alcohol Products and Sugary Drinks Starting October.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) has issued a notice announcing the Cambodian government's decision to officially ban prize-based promotions via ring pull tabs and bottle caps for sugary drinks, energy drinks, and all types of alcoholic products, effective from October 1, 2026.

Dated May 4, 2026, the MEF notice details measures for managing the local production of beer and non-alcoholic beverages, under guidance from Prime Minister Hun Manet.

According to the directive, the General Department of Taxation (GDT) has been instructed to ensure the effective implementation of the following:

  1. Prize promotions via ring pull tabs, bottle caps, or other forms of giveaways for sugary beverages, especially energy drinks, must cease by October 1, 2026. From this date forward, all enterprises are prohibited from offering prizes and must not place new orders, import, or manufacture tabs/caps for sugary drinks that feature prize promotions.
  2. Prize promotions via ring pull tabs, bottle caps, or other forms of rewards for alcoholic products must cease entirely by October 1, 2026. From this date forward, all enterprises are prohibited from offering prizes and must not place new orders, import, or manufacture alcoholic product tabs/caps that include prize promotions.

The notice stresses that these measures are to ensure fair competition and improved regulatory compliance across the beverage industry, and to most importantly curb excessive consumption social harm.

In 2025, the Office of the Council of Ministers issued a letter agreeing to a ban on prize promotions in the beverage industry, in response to concerns raised by Heineken Cambodia, four other beverage and alcohol companies, and the Association of Wine, Spirits, and Beer Importers and Distributors. The Cambodian government provided a transition period of six months to one year to allow companies to prepare and adjust their operations for the ban, which will come into full effect this October.