Gambling in Nepal

Nepal licenses casinos and then bars its own citizens from them. The penalty for admitting a Nepali is not a fine on the player, it is the casino's licence.

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Nepal at a glance: Casinos in Nepal operate under the Casino Regulation of 2013 and are licensed by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. They are restricted to foreign tourists aged 18 and over. Nepali citizens may not enter or play, and a licence can be revoked if they are admitted. A casino must sit inside a five-star hotel and carry a minimum investment of NPR 250 million. A bill proposed in 2025 would cut the permitted foreign shareholding from 90% to 49%, and is silent on whether the ban on citizens survives.
18, and foreign passport holders onlyLegal age
Licence fees on the operator; no player levy publishedTax on winnings
Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil AviationRegulator
August 2026Verified

Licensed for visitors, closed to residents

The Casino Regulation of 2013 makes the position explicit: casinos in Nepal serve foreign tourists, and Nepali nationals are not permitted to gamble in them. The enforcement mechanism is what gives it teeth. The licence itself may be revoked if citizens are allowed in, so the operator carries the risk rather than the player.

The entry conditions are structural too. A casino has to be inside a five-star hotel, with a minimum investment of NPR 250 million, which ties the industry to the tourist trade by design and keeps it out of ordinary neighbourhoods. Kathmandu's casinos exist principally for visitors from India, where casino gambling is restricted to a handful of states.

The bill, and the question it does not answer

A bill put forward in 2025 would tighten foreign ownership sharply, capping outside investors at 49% of a joint venture where the current regulation permits up to 90%. That is a straightforward move to keep more of the industry in domestic hands.

The interesting part is an omission. The existing regulation bars Nepali citizens in terms; the proposed bill says nothing about it either way. Whether that means the ban carries over, is quietly dropped or gets rewritten is not answerable from the text, and it is the single question that would most change the market. This page will not guess at it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Nepali citizens gamble in Nepal's casinos?
No. The Casino Regulation of 2013 restricts casinos to foreign tourists, and a licence can be revoked if citizens are admitted.
What is the minimum age?
18, and only for foreign passport holders.
Where are Nepal's casinos?
Inside five-star hotels, which the regulation requires. Most are in Kathmandu and serve visitors from India.

Legal age, regulator and the tax treatment of player winnings on this page were checked against the regulator's own material or a reputable legal summary in August 2026. Gambling law moves; confirm anything consequential with the regulator before relying on it. Where sources disagreed, this site leaves the figure out rather than guessing.