A 49-year-old man was referred to us for treatment of a gastric carcinoid tumor. Gastroscopy revealed a superficial elevated lesion with a central depression covered with nonspecific gastric mucosa located in the anterior wall of the gastric body. The lesion was diagnosed on biopsy as a gastric carcinoid tumor. Preoperative ultrasound and computed tomography examinations revealed a tumor confined to the gastric submucosa and without lymph node metastasis. Therefore, laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) was performed. Macroscopically, the resected specimen contained an elevated lesion measuring 0.9 x 0.8-cm with a central depression. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remains free of recurrence 10 months after surgery. There are few cases of sporadic gastric carcinoid tumor successfully treated by LADG. LADG may be useful for treatment of patients with sporadic gastric carcinoid tumor and possible lymph node metastasis.