Nepal is facing a significant challenge as a wave of offshore gambling applications has flooded the local digital market.
Following India’s recent ban on online betting, operators registered in jurisdictions like Curaçao have shifted their focus to Nepal, promoting sports betting and casino games directly to citizens despite a strict national prohibition.
The rapid expansion of these platforms has exposed gaps in the country’s digital enforcement capabilities.
Offshore platforms such as Khalti88’s K88, IME88, and JW8 Nepal are leveraging aggressive social media strategies to gain a foothold.
These operators utilize Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, often employing local influencers and using footage of Nepali landmarks to appear legitimate.
By offering referral rewards and using domestic banking routes for transactions, these apps have managed to scale quickly, operating openly in public feeds despite the law restricting gambling solely to foreign visitors in licensed physical casinos.
Police data indicates a sharp escalation in illegal activity. Arrests related to online gambling have risen from just two cases in 2020 to 147 cases in the 2023-2024 period.
While the Central Investigation Bureau is investigating severe cases involving cross-border networks, enforcement remains largely reactive.
This has allowed foreign operators to fill the void left by the Indian market ban, treating Nepal as a convenient alternative.
Digital rights experts are calling for greater accountability from the tech giants facilitating this advertising.
There is growing pressure on the government to regulate how social media platforms monetize illegal content.
Without a specific regulatory framework for these platforms, ads for prohibited betting services continue to proliferate, outpacing the state’s ability to block them.
Santosh Sigdel, Executive Director of Digital Rights Nepal, commented on the influx of offshore gambling apps:
The government must hold social media platforms accountable, as they earn billions from advertisements promoting prohibited materials, including online gambling.
