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Nepal’s government has ordered an immediate shutdown of all online betting apps and websites, telling internet and mobile service providers to block the platforms without delay. The directive has been issued by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, to which they sent a letter to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority over the weekend.
The shutdown has already begun, with at least 16 betting sites being targeted for closure, according to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority. The move follows a cabinet meeting on Friday, where the government took a firm position against online betting apps over concerns linked to illegal financial transactions and capital outflow.
NTA Told to Identify Suspicious URLs
Although the government of Nepal issued the directive on the shutdown of all online betting apps and websites, it failed to specify which ones should be blocked. This responsibility was left to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, which issued the directive to operators to stop all operations with no delay. The authority has been working through suspicious platforms as part of the wider order.
NTA spokesperson Min Prasad Aryal told local media that the IP addresses of betting apps and their associated URLs must be identified before action can be completed. He said the authority had been instructed to block suspicious websites and that no specific names had been passed on. The process has therefore been left to the regulator to identify and act on the targets.
100-Point Reform Plan Backs Crackdown
The shutdown is part of a broader 100-point governance reform overhaul, with point 42 specifically directing the communications ministry to block all betting apps and websites within 24 hours. Daily monitoring and reporting have also been put in place, with updates to be submitted to the Prime Minister and the Secretariat.
That framework gives the government a formal mechanism to track how quickly the order is carried out. It also puts pressure on service providers and regulators to move quickly, with the instruction focused entirely on the online betting side of the market. Authorities did not indicate any move against land-based casinos, which are largely located along the border with India.
Land-Based Casinos Left Untouched
The latest action appears to be limited to digital betting platforms. Despite the sweeping nature of the online shutdown, no similar order was issued for Nepal’s physical casinos. Those venues were not mentioned in the directive, and authorities did not indicate that they would be subject to closure under the current instruction.
That distinction leaves the country’s land-based casino sector outside the scope of the latest crackdown, even as regulators move to cut off access to online betting channels. For now, the government’s attention remains on blocking apps and websites, with the Nepal Telecommunications Authority carrying out the order under a short deadline and daily oversight from senior officials.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
