Nepal’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has moved to enforce the implementation of the country’s online gambling ban, shutting down apps and related websites.
The Himalayan Times has reported that these government orders were implemented over the weekend, as government officials enforce previously announced action.
A decision on online gambling platforms was made after a meeting led by Minister for Communications and Information Technology Bikram Timilsina, along with ministry officials and division chiefs.
Coordinated efforts took place between the Nepal Telecommunications Authority and internet service providers in the country to disable access to the apps and websites.
Significantly, the government has moved to block IP addresses in the country as it looks to take swift and accelerated action on any operators that remain, aiming to ensure the black market can’t thrive amidst tighter domestic regulations.
Prior to the ban, there was a fairly substantial grey market in Nepal, which had been on an upward trajectory in terms of engagement.
According to reports, the market was growing by around 10% annually, largely fuelled by an increase in mobile usage and significantly major improvements made in data quality.
It follows the abrupt decision of the Indian government to pass the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gambling Bill 2025, which prohibited the promotion of RMG due to the perceived negative societal impacts.
Reports suggest a significant number of Nepalese gamblers were engaged with Indian betting platforms, and the two countries intertwine in terms of their payment pipeline.
India also moved fast in terms of ensuring that residents in the country were unable to engage with illegal gambling, appointing the Online Gaming Authority of India, under the Electronics and IT Ministry, to enforce and detect illicit engagement.
The country’s government also confirmed that jail sentences and fines could be issued to repeat offenders when it comes to breaching the ban.
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