TLDR Nepal’s government ordered all online betting apps and websites to be blocked immediately The Nepal Telecommunications Authority has begun targeting at least 16 betting sites for closure The NTA was not given specific site names and must identify suspicious URLs on its own The crackdown is part of a 100-point governance reform plan with daily monitoring Land-based casinos along the India border were not included in the shutdown order
Nepal has ordered the immediate shutdown of all online betting apps and websites across the country. The directive came from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology over the weekend.
The ministry sent a letter to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority telling it to ensure internet and mobile service providers block the platforms without delay. The shutdown has already started.
At least 16 betting sites have been targeted for closure so far, according to the telecommunications authority. The move came after a cabinet meeting on Friday where the government took a firm position against online betting.
The government cited concerns about illegal financial transactions and capital outflow as the main reasons for the crackdown. These issues have been growing in the country in recent years.
However, the government did not specify which platforms should be blocked. That task was left entirely to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to figure out on its own.
NTA Left to Identify Betting Platforms Without a List
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 no specific names had been passed on by the government.
The authority has been working through suspicious platforms as part of the wider order. Operators were told to stop all operations tied to online betting with no delay.