Are Casinos Legal in Nepal? What is consistently reported, reported once, and unclear

In short

Are casinos legal in Nepal? Licensed land-based casinos exist under the Department of Tourism, but the Kathmandu Post reported on 18 May 2025 that existing rules bar Nepali citizens from entering. Online betting is separate, and the 2026 block targets betting apps.

• Consistently reported: several outlets say casinos are licensed by the tourism authorities and that Nepali citizens may not enter.
• Reported once: the 2025 compliance directive and a 2026 bill that would change how casinos are regulated.
• Unclear: how any rule applies to one person, and whether the entry bar will stay.

This is not legal advice. You must be 18 or over to gamble anywhere, and gambling can cause harm. Read our responsible gambling page.

Table of contents

1. Are casinos legal in Nepal? What is consistently reported, reported once, and unclear
2. Are casinos legal in Nepal, and who licenses them?
3. Can Nepalis enter casinos?
4. Are casinos legal in Nepal when betting apps are being blocked?
5. What did the Department of Tourism order in 2025?
6. Is the casino law about to change?
7. Limits of this page
8. Short glossary
9. If you are worried about gambling or the law
10. Frequently asked questions

Are casinos legal in Nepal? What is consistently reported, reported once, and unclear

People searching for casinos in Nepal often mix up two things. One is a physical casino in a hotel or border town. The other is a betting app on a phone.

The sources treat them differently, so we keep them apart. We read every source below on 5 October 2026 and date each one.

Sources as named in the table. All checked 5 October 2026.

Are casinos legal in Nepal, and who licenses them?

Casinos in Nepal are licensed through the Department of Tourism, according to the Kathmandu Post on 18 May 2025. Fiscal Nepal reported on 15 July 2025 that the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation enforces revised casino rules under the Tourism Act 2035.

The Department’s website lists a page titled “Casino Regulations, 2082”. On 5 October 2026 it showed only a title and a date, with no text to read. So we rely on news reports of the rules, not on the rules themselves.

Can Nepalis enter casinos?

Can Nepalis enter casinos? The Kathmandu Post reported on 18 May 2025 that the existing regulation explicitly bars Nepali citizens from entering them. Fiscal Nepal’s 15 July 2025 report gives one exception: licensed staff and government inspectors may go in, but Nepali citizens otherwise may not.

We found no source listing everyone who may enter, so we do not say who is allowed in.

The Kathmandu Post, in a report carried by Asia News Network on 8 December 2025, described problems with enforcement. It quoted the Department of Tourism as saying some operators had used fake identity documents so that Nepali citizens could get in. It also quoted a district official saying not one casino in the district met the standards in full.

These are reported claims about particular operators, and we name none. They do not tell you what is lawful for you.

Are casinos legal in Nepal when betting apps are being blocked?

The 2026 blocking order is about online betting. Fiscal Nepal reported on 29 March 2026 that the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology told the telecom regulator to block betting applications and related online platforms. We found no mention of licensed casinos in that article.

Rising Nepal reported on 31 March 2026 that officials say betting is illegal under the Criminal Code 2017. Its article says betting apps often include casino-style games, and it does not discuss physical casinos. iGaming Business, also on 31 March 2026, did not mention licensed casinos either.

Sources as named in the table. All checked 5 October 2026.

Our separate explainer on betting law sets out the 2026 order and what officials said about the Criminal Code in more detail.

What did the Department of Tourism order in 2025?

This part is reported once, not confirmed by statute text. The Himalayan Times (citing Rastriya Samachar Samiti) and Nepal News reported the directive on 19 November 2025. The Kathmandu Post dated it 14 November.

• As reported, the directive requires licensed casinos to follow the money-laundering law.
• As reported, the directive requires customer identification systems with biometric records, and CCTV footage kept for six months.
• As reported, the directive prohibits any casino betting based on the internet or online means.

As reported, a licensed casino may not move its games online. That is a rule about casinos, so it says nothing about whether any app is lawful.

Is the casino law about to change?

Are casinos legal in Nepal under the next set of rules? That depends on a bill that has not passed. The Kathmandu Post said on 18 May 2025 that a proposed casino law was silent on whether the ban on Nepali citizens would continue, change or go.

In July 2026, Tourism Times reported that the Tourism Bill 2081 had drawn 263 amendments from 58 lawmakers, most of them on casinos. iGamingToday gave the same figures on 21 July 2026. Both reported a proposal for an independent Casino Regulatory Unit, and neither mentioned the entry rule.

One summary of the debate mentioned other entry-rule proposals. We could not open its source, so we do not rely on it.

Limits of this page

We could not read the text of the casino regulations. The Department of Tourism page listing them shows a title and a date only, and we could not open an English text of the Tourism Act. Every statement above about the rules comes from news reports, so a rule could be worded differently from how we describe it.

We found no court ruling on a person who entered a casino. The bill is still moving, and a directive can be replaced.

So our answer to “Are casinos legal in Nepal?” on this page rests on dated reports, not on statute text we read. Please check the dates, and ask a Nepali lawyer about your own case.

Short glossary

• Land-based casino: a physical casino, usually in a hotel or resort, as opposed to a website or app.
• Department of Tourism: the government office that, according to the Kathmandu Post, licenses casinos.
• Directive: a formal instruction from a government body, not a law passed by parliament.
• Tourism Bill: a proposed law that is still being amended in parliament, according to the July 2026 reports.
• KYC: “know your customer”, the checks a business makes to confirm who a person is.

If you are worried about gambling or the law

This is not legal advice, and we cannot tell you what is safe to do. If you are asking “Are casinos legal in Nepal?” about your own situation, speak to a lawyer in Nepal.

If gambling is causing you stress, debt or sleepless nights, talk to someone you trust and read our responsible gambling page. If you need a hand with the site itself, our help page is there, and you can read how we work on our about page. You must be 18 or over.

Frequently asked questions

Are casinos legal in Nepal right now?

Reports say licensed casinos operate under the Department of Tourism, and that Nepali citizens are barred from entering them. We could not read the regulation text. This is not legal advice.

Can Nepalis enter casinos?

The Kathmandu Post (18 May 2025) and Fiscal Nepal (15 July 2025) report that Nepali citizens may not enter, with an exception for licensed staff and inspectors. A proposed bill was reported to be silent on whether the bar continues.

Are casinos legal in Nepal after the 2026 betting-app block?

We found no source saying the block closes casinos. The articles we read describe a block on betting apps and websites, and they do not discuss licensed casinos.

Can a casino in Nepal offer online games?

The Himalayan Times and Nepal News reported on 19 November 2025 that the Department of Tourism prohibited casino betting based on the internet or online means. Whether any app is lawful is a separate question that we cannot answer.

Where can I read the law itself?

Nepal’s laws are published at lawcommission.gov.np, and the Department of Tourism lists casino regulations at tourismdepartment.gov.np. We could not read the text on either site on 5 October 2026, so check there or with a lawyer.

In short, the answer to “Are casinos legal in Nepal?” is narrow for licensed venues and careful for everything else. We have tied every claim to a dated source.

Sources

All sources were checked on 5 October 2026.

1. Kathmandu Post, “Proposed casino law to tighten rules, curb foreign investment”, 18 May 2025. Checked 5 October 2026.
2. Fiscal Nepal, “Nepal revamps Casino laws: Stricter rules and higher capital for operators”, 15 July 2025. Checked 5 October 2026.
3. The Himalayan Times, “Govt issues 12-point directive to further regulate casinos” (Rastriya Samachar Samiti), 19 November 2025. Checked 5 October 2026.
4. Nepal News, “Government issues 12-point directive to further regulate casinos”, 19 November 2025. Checked 5 October 2026.
5. Asia News Network, republishing the Kathmandu Post, “Border casinos draw tourists, but rule-breaking, fake IDs and rising crime fuel concerns in Nepal”, 8 December 2025. Checked 5 October 2026.
6. Tourism Times, “Nepal Tourism Bill draws 263 amendments”, 20 July 2026. Checked 5 October 2026.
7. iGamingToday, “Nepal Lawmakers Push for Dedicated Casino Regulator in Tourism Bill Overhaul”, 21 July 2026. Checked 5 October 2026.
8. Fiscal Nepal, “Nepal orders shutdown of betting apps within 24 hours”, 29 March 2026. Checked 5 October 2026.
9. Rising Nepal, “Govt pulls plug on betting platforms; 200 apps shut”, 31 March 2026. Checked 5 October 2026.
10. iGaming Business, “Nepal bans online gambling apps, websites”, 31 March 2026. Checked 5 October 2026.
11. Department of Tourism, “Casino Regulations, 2082” (page shows title and date only; no text). Checked 5 October 2026.
12. Nepal Law Commission, home page (official text of Nepal’s laws; the casino text could not be opened). Checked 5 October 2026.

By the EVO33APK Editorial Team · Fact-checked by a second editor · Last checked 5 October 2026