In Nepal, all forms of gambling are illegal except in licensed casinos, where only foreigners are allowed to play. Nepali citizens are barred from entering casinos.

Among the apps currently running Nepali-language campaigns is Khalti88, which operates an app called K88. The company is reportedly registered in Curaçao - a Caribbean island notorious for hosting online gambling and pornography sites. It also claims affiliation with a controversial Indian casino group called Godaddy.

Another app, IME88, promotes itself on Instagram as "Nepal's best gaming app," featuring Nepali-speaking influencers who encourage users to place sports bets and earn referral bonuses by inviting friends. Similarly, JW8 Nepal and JayaBazi Online Casino are being advertised through Instagram videos, some featuring young people claiming new users can earn up to Rs 25,000 simply by signing up.

These platforms appear to be using Nepali banking channels for deposits and withdrawals, exploiting weak monitoring mechanisms and gaps in the country's cyber laws. They also rely on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to lure users - taking advantage of lax social media regulation.

Observers believe that after India's ban on online gambling, many operators and users shifted their activities to Nepal. According to Nepal Police data, online gambling-related arrests have risen sharply in recent years.

* 2020/21: 2 arrests for online betting

* 2021/22: 22 arrests, including four for IPL betting via the 1xBet app

* 2022/23: 51 arrests, including 13 foreigners; offenders used apps such as Cash App, WhatsApp Cash, Wolf777, and Casino Online Game

* 2023/24: 147 arrests (55 Nepalis, 92 foreigners) linked to online gambling, crypto exchange, and betting

Advocate Santosh Sigdel, Executive Director of Digital Rights Nepal, told The Himalayan Times that targeting only advertisers is insufficient. "The government must hold social media platforms accountable, as they earn billions from advertisements promoting prohibited materials, including online gambling," he said.

He pointed to a November 6 Reuters report revealing that Meta projected about 10% of its global revenue - around $16 billion - came from ads for scams and banned goods.

Sigdel added that Nepal lacks adequate laws to regulate such activities. "There are no provisions at present to make social media platforms accountable in Nepal," he said.

Under Article 125 (2)(5) of the National Penal Code, all forms of gambling are banned without government permission. Similarly, Section 5(b) of the Advertising (Regulation) Act, 2019 empowers authorities to fine those promoting illegal content, including gambling.

Yet, despite these legal safeguards, online gambling advertisements continue to flood Nepali social media feeds unchecked.

Spokesperson for Central Investigation Bureau SSP Shiva Kumar Shrestha told THT that the CIB had been looking into serious cases of online gambling and advertising of prohibited stuffs and there were local police units that act on individual complaints.

A police officer at Cyber Bureau in Kathmandu also told THT that the police acted on complaints of online gambling and advertising of prohibited materials when they received complaints about the same.