Nepal Closes Down the Online Gaming Industry

(AsiaGameHub) –   On Sunday, Nepal’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT) ordered the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to carry out the directive: “immediately close [all] betting apps and websites, including any electronic betting” within a 24-hour window. In response, the NTA collaborated with internet service providers to block access to these platforms.

This ban is part of a 100-point policy reform agenda under Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who was elected on March 5. The 35-year-old rapper and former Kathmandu mayor—who built his following via social media and pledged greater governance transparency—secured nearly a two-thirds majority, easily defeating his controversial rival KP Sharma Oli.

Shah was sworn into office on March 27. The next day, Oli was arrested on allegations of authorizing deadly force during public demonstrations in Nepal last September. During the so-called “Gen-Z uprising,” police killed at least 19 people who took to the streets to protest government corruption. They also opposed a ban on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, which Oli claimed had failed to comply with government regulations. Those bans have since been lifted.

Curbing the Surge in Online Gambling

All forms of gambling are illegal in Nepal, and participation is considered a criminal offense. Penalties include fines of Rs30,000 (about US$300), device forfeiture, and jail terms ranging from three months to one year.

Despite the prohibition, the government has grown increasingly concerned about the rise in online betting—with its potential financial and social harms, especially for young users. Citing similar risks, India, Nepal’s South Asian neighbor, also banned online gambling last year.

MoCIT has promised “strict action … against anyone who uses or operates betting apps and websites unauthorisedly”.