🇳🇵For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Nepal gambling laws for operators: illegal to offer
Land-based casinos are licensed exclusively for foreign tourists. All forms of online gambling are illegal and subject to a nationwide ISP-level block implemented in March 2026. Gambling by Nepali citizens is a criminal offense.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Nepal is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker | Banned |
| Lottery | Licensed |
Regulator and player protection in Nepal
Regulator
Application authority and enforcement body
Self-exclusion scheme
No self-exclusion scheme
How players exclude themselves; what it covers is in the player guide
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Advertising stance
Banned or near-banned
Whether you can run TV / sponsorship / paid-social campaigns
Heads-up for operators
2 items · last change 8 Oct 2026
The Tourism Bill, 2081, which would change the rules for casinos (including a cap on foreign ownership and a required host-hotel share), returned to the House of Representatives on 26 May 2026, drew 263 amendments in July 2026, and was still before the International Relations and Tourism Committee on 20 August 2026; its casino terms are being amended (press).
Integrated Tourism Bill Tabled in Parliament
A new bill was introduced to overhaul casino regulation, proposing changes to foreign investment caps, royalty fees, and ownership structures.
Source: 1
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Licence Types in Nepal
3 licence types are listed for Nepal; each says who issues it and what it covers.
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Licence (foreigners only) | Department of Tourism | Five years | Proposed annual fee of NPR 50 million under the Integrated Tourism Bill. |
| Mini Casino Licence (foreigners only) | Department of Tourism | Five years | For electronic gaming venues. Proposed annual fee of NPR 15 million under the Integrated Tourism Bill. |
| Lottery Concession | Ministry of Finance | Statutory |
Licensing model
Nepal's casino licensing model is uniquely tied to the tourism sector. Licences are only granted to operators affiliated with five-star hotels, and access is strictly limited to foreign passport holders. Nepali citizens are legally barred from entering or gambling in any casino.
Gambling tax and fees in Nepal
Detail
Operators pay a standard corporate tax on profits (typically 25%). A proposed Integrated Tourism Bill would set annual royalty fees at NPR 50 million for full casinos and NPR 15 million for electronic-only 'mini casinos'.
Year-1 cost of operating in Nepal
The following fees are based on the proposed Integrated Tourism Bill tabled in May 2025 and are subject to change. Official government fee schedules were not located on the regulator's website.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee (Large Casino) | NPR 1M | Proposed one-time, non-refundable fee. |
| Licence Fee (Large Casino) | NPR 25M | Proposed one-time fee. |
| Annual Royalty Fee (Large Casino) | NPR 50M Source1 | Proposed annual fee. |
| Annual Royalty Fee (Mini Casino) | NPR 15M Source1 | Proposed annual fee for electronic-only venues. |
| Operator GGR Tax | 25% (Corporate Tax) | Standard corporate tax on profits. |
Year 1 estimate
~NPR 76 million (~$570k)
Estimate for a large casino based on proposed fees, before capital requirements and operational costs. The fee structure is part of a pending bill and may change.
Which foreign licences Nepal accepts
Nepal recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BlockedMalta (MGA) · United Kingdom (UKGC) · Gibraltar (GRA) · Isle of Man (GSC) · Curaçao · Kahnawake (KGC) · Anjouan (AGB) · Alderney (AGCC)
All online gambling is illegal. Following a March 2026 government directive, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority has ordered ISPs to block all offshore sites, regardless of licence.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
Bonuses bannedInducement ads: Banned
The regulatory framework is defined by a complete prohibition on online gambling for Nepalese citizens. This ban is enforced by the National Penal Code Act, 2017, and the Gambling Act, 2020, so any discussion of bonus or promotion legality is moot.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- All forms of online gambling and betting are prohibited for Nepali citizens.
As online gambling is illegal for citizens, no legal provisions exist for any type of online gaming bonuses or promotions.
What the operator can advertise
- Channels off-limits
- All channels
- Messages ads may not give
- All promotional language is prohibited.
- Penalties
Up to one year imprisonment and fines up to 10,000 NPR.
Recent advertising-violation cases
| Date | Operator | Violation | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | Numerous unnamed offshore operators | Operating and promoting illegal online betting and gambling services to Nepalese citizens. | Over 7,000 platforms blocked by the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA). | Focus Gaming News |
| June 2024 | Wolf777 Casino | Operating an illegal online gambling platform. | Arrest of six individuals. | SiGMA News |
Advertising: banned or near-banned
Nepal prohibits gambling for its own citizens: under the Casino Regulation 2070 (2013) issued pursuant to the Tourism Act, licensed casinos may serve only foreign tourists and non-resident Nepalis, and online/internet gambling is outright illegal. Because the domestic public cannot lawfully gamble, advertising or promotion of gambling to Nepali residents is effectively prohibited across all channels. There is no meaningful sportsbook-vs-casino distinction in advertising terms: sports betting has no domestic legal channel at all, and even land-based casino marketing may not target the resident population.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Google restricts gambling and games ads to an enumerated list of countries where advertisers hold a valid local licence and Google certification; Nepal is not on that allowlist. Because Nepal issues no gambling licences to advertisers targeting its residents (domestic gambling is illegal), certified gambling Search ads cannot run there. Any such ads would violate Google's gambling policy.45 |
| App Store Publishing | Banned | Apple's Guideline 5.3 requires real-money gaming apps to hold the necessary licences everywhere they are used and to be geo-restricted to locations where gambling is legally permitted. Nepal permits no domestic real-money gambling and bans online gambling entirely, so a compliant app cannot be published or made available to Nepali users. Land-based casinos serving only foreign tourists provide no lawful basis for a consumer app targeting residents.6 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | Google Play permits real-money gambling, games and contests apps only in an explicit list of allowed countries, and Nepal is not included. With no eligible app inventory and no local licensing pathway, store-level gambling app promotion cannot legally run in Nepal. Apple likewise geo-restricts such apps to permitted jurisdictions, which excludes Nepal.678 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Meta permits online gambling and gaming ads only in countries on its eligibility list and only for advertisers holding prior written permission plus the applicable local licence. Nepal is not an eligible country and issues no such licences for resident-facing gambling, so gambling ads cannot be authorised on Facebook or Instagram there. The domestic ban on citizen gambling and on online gambling leaves no compliant advertising route.9 |
| TV & Radio | Banned | Because the Casino Regulation 2070 (issued under the Tourism Act) confines legal gambling to licensed casinos serving foreign tourists and non-resident Nepalis, and bars citizens from gambling, broadcast advertising that promotes gambling to the resident public has no lawful basis. Nepal's Department of Tourism (under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation) is the regulator, and its 2025 tightening of casino rules (including an explicit online-gambling ban) reinforces that gambling may not be marketed domestically. No statutory carve-out authorises TV or radio gambling advertising.1011 |
| Sponsorships | Banned | Gambling sponsorship of teams, events or media that reaches the domestic public runs contrary to the Casino Regulation 2070's restriction of gambling to foreign tourists and the prohibition on citizen participation. With no licensing regime for resident-facing gambling, an operator has no lawful product to promote to Nepalis via sponsorship. The regulator (Department of Tourism) treats casinos as a foreigner-only tourism activity rather than a consumer market to be advertised.1011 |
| Digital OOH | Banned | Digital out-of-home gambling advertising directed at the general public conflicts with the foreigner-only scope of legal casino operation under the Casino Regulation 2070 and the ban on Nepali citizens gambling. Since domestic gambling and online gambling are illegal, there is no compliant gambling offer to advertise to residents via billboards or screens. No provision authorises public-facing gambling promotion.1011 |
Channel rules for Nepal reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Nepal enforces against unlicensed operators
Enforcement against unlicensed online gambling is extremely aggressive. In March 2026, the government showed total control over the digital environment by ordering a nationwide, ISP-level shutdown of all betting sites and apps within 24 hours. The action was decisive, technically comprehensive and backed by criminal penalties for individuals.
- March 2026: The government directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to block all online betting platforms within 24 hours as part of a 100-point reform plan.
- April 2026: The NTA confirmed over 10,000 apps and websites had been successfully blocked by ISPs across the country, with some estimates as high as 21,000.
- Ongoing: The National Penal (Code) Act, 2017 imposes penalties of up to one year in prison and fines for individuals caught gambling illegally.
Enforcement cases in Nepal: 5 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Nepal. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- April 2026
Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA)
Grey-MarketInjunctionFollowing a government directive, the NTA ordered all internet service providers to block over 7,000 betting-related websites and applications.
Read-across: This mass-blocking demonstrates the state's technical capability and willingness to enforce a complete ban, which makes circumvention difficult for operators and players.
- March 2026
Government of Nepal
Grey-MarketISP/Payment blockingA 100-point governance reform plan mandated the immediate shutdown of all online betting platforms to curb illegal financial transactions and social harm.
Read-across: The abrupt and total market shutdown signals extreme sovereign risk for any grey-market operator and forces a complete re-evaluation of market entry strategy.
- November 2025
Nepal Department of Tourism
LicensingRegulatory tighteningA directive was issued to all licensed casinos mandating stricter compliance on financial reporting, surveillance, and registration of foreign players.
Read-across: Increased scrutiny on licensed venues suggests a move towards a stronger regulatory framework, potentially raising compliance costs and operational burdens for land-based operators.
- January 2025
Unnamed Call Centre
Grey-MarketCriminal proceedingsThe Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested 53 individuals, including two Indian nationals, for operating an illegal online casino from a call centre.
Read-across: The raid on a significant back-office operation shows the authorities' focus on dismantling the infrastructure supporting illegal online gambling and increases risks for local staff.
- June 2024
Wolf777 Casino
Grey-MarketCriminal proceedingsAn investigation into the online gambling platform led to the arrest of six individuals involved in facilitating transactions worth approximately $2.77 million over two months.
Read-across: This operation shows law enforcement's growing capability to trace and prosecute significant financial transactions related to offshore gambling sites.
Market size: 0.02B USD (2025)
Gross gaming revenue in Nepal is approximately 20 million USD annually. The most popular form of gambling is Casino. Online gambling represents 0% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is Traditional casino table games (roulette, baccarat, poker) and slot machines for foreign tourists..
Market breakdown by vertical
- Land-based0.01B USD50.0%
- Sports betting0.007B USD35.0%
- Casino0.001B USD5.0%
- Lottery0.002B USD10.0%
Source: iGB / MeitY Regulatory Breakdown 2026. Splits: online-casino 5.0%, sports 35.0%, land-based 50.0%, lottery 10.0%.
GGR figure14
Licensed operators: ~14
As of 8 Oct 2026, approximately 14 operators hold an active licence in Nepal. Size your entry against this base before committing capital.
Notable licensed operators
Millionaire's Club & Casino
Casino Pride
Casino Rad
CMG Club Casino
Traps operators hit in Nepal
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Ignoring the Absolute Ban on Online Activity
Any attempt to serve Nepali players online, even from offshore, faces immediate and effective technical blocking by all national ISPs. The March 2026 shutdown was comprehensive and swift, which shows zero tolerance. This is not a 'grey' market. It is a prohibited market and is actively enforced against.
Misunderstanding the 'Foreigners-Only' Rule
Licensed land-based casinos are strictly forbidden from allowing Nepali citizens to enter or gamble. Operators must have KYC procedures, including passport verification at the point of entry. Failure to comply risks license revocation and severe penalties.
Sources16
Non-Compliance with AML Reporting
Since July 2025, casinos are legally required to monitor player spending and file a report with the Financial Information Unit for any individual spending NPR 1 million (approx. $7,400) in a single day. Failure to implement this system is a significant compliance breach.
Sources17
Timeline: rules in force
- April 2026
ISP Block Implementation Confirmed
The Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA) confirmed that over 10,000 gambling-related apps and websites had been blocked by ISPs nationwide.
Source: 13
- March 2026
Total Online Gambling Ban Enforced
As part of a 100-point reform plan, the government directed the NTA to block all online betting websites and apps within 24 hours.
Source: 12
- November 2025
Stricter Casino Compliance Directive Issued
The Department of Tourism mandated tighter compliance on financial reporting, surveillance, and registration of foreign players, explicitly banning online gaming from licensed venues.
Source: 18
- July 2025
New AML Reporting Threshold Introduced
A directive was issued requiring casinos to report any player spending NPR 1 million or more in a single day to the Financial Information Unit.
Source: 17
- 2013
Casino Regulation, 2070 Enacted
This foundational regulation established the modern framework for licensing land-based casinos exclusively for foreign tourists.
Source: 16
Operator myths vs reality in Nepal
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythNepal is a grey market where we can operate with a Curaçao license.
- MythWe can get a casino license and then run an online operation for tourists.Reality
Explicitly forbidden. A November 2025 directive from the Department of Tourism imposed a complete ban on any online or internet-based casino gaming, even from licensed land-based venues. The license is strictly for the physical operation serving foreigners on-premises.
Sources18
- MythThe main cost of a casino license is the annual fee.Reality
False. While the proposed annual royalty fees are significant (NPR 50 million for a large casino), operators also face substantial one-time application and license fees. Furthermore, significant minimum paid-up capital requirements have been introduced, and they are a far greater financial barrier.
Sources1
Markets that work like Nepal
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
Methodology & sources
This page is a Quick AI overview: a summary of public information, not yet checked against the law or the regulator. Treat it as a starting point. It has not yet been through our Deep AI Scan.
How we researchAsk us to run the Deep AI Scan for Nepal
Documents cited on this page
- 1yogonet.com
- 2Law Bhandari
- 3iGaming Business
- 4Google Ads gambling & games policy
- 5Google Ads 'Good Policy Health' update (Mar 2026)
- 6Apple App Store Review Guideline 5.3
- 7Google Play real-money gambling app policy
- 8Google Play country allowances for gambling apps
- 9Meta online gambling & gaming ad policy
- 10Casino Regulation 2070, Nepal Law Commission
- 11Casino Regulation (Dept. of Tourism)
- 12agbrief.com
- 13radionepalonline.com
- 14iGB / MeitY Regulatory Breakdown 2026
- 15igamingbusiness.com
- 16topcasinosearch.com
- 17focusgn.com
- 18tribuna.com
- Casino Regulation, 2070 (2013 B.S.): Nepal’s governing casino statute; issued under Section 56 of the Tourism Act 1978; licensing administered by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (Nepal Law Commission)
- Nepal Law Commission: क्यासिनो नियमावली, २०८२ (Casino Regulation 2082; rule 32 repeals Regulation 2070)
- The Tourism Times: Nepal tourism bill draws 263 amendments (July 2026, press)
- Khabarhub: committee hears stakeholders on the Tourism Bill (20 August 2026, press)
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Nepal (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Nepal player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 8 Oct 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Department of Tourism (under Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation). We are not a legal adviser.