Key Takeaways:
- Crackdown part of govt's 100‑point governance reform agenda
- Ministry ordered shutdown of all betting platforms within 24 hours
- Platforms continue to reappear under new identities
Online betting platforms continue to resurface in Nepal despite a sweeping government crackdown that has blocked more than 223,000 websites and mobile applications since the FIFA World Cup.
The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) said it has taken down 223,568 betting‑related sites and apps to curb illegal gambling and financial scams. The move followed the government's 100‑point governance reform programme, introduced on March 27, which directed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to shut down betting platforms within 24 hours.
Dipa Dahal, Press and Research Expert to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, said the crackdown was part of the broader governance reform agenda. Authorities confirmed that while all platforms operating in Nepal were initially taken offline, new sites have continued to emerge under different names.
Officials said the effort remains ongoing, with the NTA monitoring and blocking reappearing platforms in real time.