Online betting and crypto gambling are illegal in Nepal. The country licenses only a handful of land-based casinos for foreign tourists; it has no legal framework for online gambling, and Nepali citizens are barred from casino gambling. Betting is punishable under Section 125 of the National Penal (Code) Act, 2017, cryptocurrency is banned outright by Nepal Rastra Bank, and offshore betting sites operate illegally. Anyone gambling online in Nepal is doing so illegally and without consumer protection.

No. Nepal has no licensing regime for online casinos or sportsbooks. Gambling and betting are criminalised under the National Penal (Code) Act, 2017 (Section 125), which defines gambling as playing for money or property on a contingency. A first gambling offence can bring up to three months’ imprisonment or a fine up to NPR 30,000 (or both); betting carries up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine up to NPR 10,000, plus forfeiture of the staked amount. The only legal, regulated gambling is inside licensed casinos, and those are open exclusively to foreign nationals.

Who regulates gambling?

Casino licensing sits with the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, operating under the Tourism Act, 1978 and the Casino Regulation, 2025 (which replaced the earlier 2013 regulation). There is no online-gambling regulator, because online gambling is not a permitted activity. Enforcement of the prohibition falls to Nepal Police, though officials acknowledge that offshore betting sites are hard to stop because they are operated from abroad.

Licensed vs offshore

Licensed casinosOffshore online sites
Legal for Nepali citizens?No (foreigners only)No
Regulated in Nepal?Yes (Dept. of Tourism)No
Consumer protectionLimited, localNone
StatusLegal for touristsIllegal

Offshore betting apps advertise to Nepali users, but they are unlicensed here and offer no recourse if a balance is frozen or a withdrawal refused.

Payment methods

Because the activity is illegal, there are no compliant local rails for online betting. Nepali banks, wallets and card networks are not permitted to process gambling transactions. Users who attempt offshore deposits often resort to informal channels, which raises fraud and legal exposure rather than reducing it.

Crypto gambling status

Cryptocurrency is banned in Nepal. Nepal Rastra Bank first prohibited Bitcoin in a notice dated 13 August 2017 and has repeatedly declared all crypto trading, mining and transactions illegal, enforced through the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act and the Nepal Rastra Bank Act. Crypto-funded offshore betting has grown as a concern: NRB’s Financial Intelligence Unit recorded 658 crypto-linked suspicious transaction reports between 2021 and mid-July 2025, with the annual count peaking at 252 in 2024. The activity remains doubly illegal, exposing users to both gambling and foreign-exchange penalties.

Tax on winnings

There is no personal tax on gambling winnings for players, simply because player gambling is illegal and produces no legally recognised income. On the operator side, licensed casinos are taxed as businesses: 25% corporate income tax on net profit, a fixed annual royalty set under the Economic Act (reported at NPR 50 million for a large casino and NPR 15 million for a mini casino in FY 2025/26), plus license and renewal fees and VAT on non-gaming services. Nepal does not levy a percentage royalty on gross gaming revenue.

Safer gambling and help

If gambling is affecting you or your family, treat it as a health issue, not just a legal one. Nepal does not have a dedicated problem-gambling helpline, so the practical options are general mental-health and psychosocial services such as TPO Nepal’s free counselling line (16600102005) and the National Suicide Prevention Helpline (1166); confirm current numbers locally. Set hard limits, never chase losses, and never borrow to bet.

18+ only. Gambling is illegal for Nepali citizens and can be addictive. If it stops being fun, seek help.

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