Last updated: July 2026 (Shrawan 2083) — based on Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) statements reported by Techpana and national media. Figures and links can change; verify on official NTA channels.

Nepal’s crackdown on online betting just hit a number nobody expected: 223,568 betting sites and apps blocked since the FIFA World Cup began — on top of a blocking drive that has already taken down over two lakh illegal platforms. And in a first for Nepal’s internet governance, the government has published its blocklist — and a way for the public to report new betting sites — on GitHub, at github.com/NTA-OPM.

Here’s what actually happened, how the blocking works behind the scenes, how you can report an illegal betting or fraud site yourself, and what this means for ordinary internet users in Nepal.

What the Government Announced

• The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) says 2,23,568 betting and illegal financial-transaction websites/apps have been blocked since the FIFA World Cup started — a period when betting activity was expected to spike.
• This builds on the government’s 100-point governance reform agenda (issued Chaitra 13, 2082 — March 2026). Point 42 directed the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology to block betting apps and websites within 24 hours of identification.
• The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers took special interest during the World Cup, and the NTA formed a dedicated task force for the operation.

How the Blocking Actually Works

According to NTA Assistant Director and task-force engineer Om Prakash Mahato (as reported by Techpana), the mechanics look like this:

1. Identification: authorized agencies maintain lists of betting and illegal financial sites. Because finding sites one-by-one is impractical at this scale, the NTA also runs threat-intelligence tools with dedicated staff to hunt new domains.
2. ISP collaboration: during the World Cup, representatives of Internet Service Providers were stationed at the NTA itself so newly identified URLs could be blocked immediately.
3. URL blocking: ISPs block the identified URLs network-wide across Nepal.
4. Repeat: blocked operators reopen under new names — so the cycle of identify → block continues daily. That whack-a-mole reality is exactly why the public reporting channel matters.

The GitHub Blocklist: A Surprisingly Open Move

The NTA’s blocklist now lives publicly at github.com/NTA-OPM in the NTA-Blocklist repository. As of writing, it hosts the actual lists as downloadable CSV files — including a combined file of 223K+ blocked betting URLs, plus alphabetized additions that show the list is actively maintained.

Why this is notable:

• Transparency: anyone — researchers, ISPs, journalists, parents — can see exactly which domains Nepal has blocked, instead of the list living in a closed government file.
• Speed: ISPs and security tools can pull updates directly from one public source.
• Crowdsourcing: the NTA says anyone who knows of an illegal betting or financial site can flag it through the same GitHub link.

How to Report an Illegal Betting Site (Step by Step)

1. Collect the evidence: note the exact website address (URL) or app name. A screenshot helps.
2. Go to the NTA’s GitHub: open github.com/NTA-OPM and open the NTA-Blocklist repository.
3. Check it isn’t already blocked: the CSV files list already-blocked domains — use GitHub’s search within the repo for the domain name.
4. Submit the report: with a free GitHub account, use the repository’s Issues section (or the contribution method the repo describes) to post the site’s URL and brief details. Keep it factual — URL, what it does, evidence.
5. No GitHub account? You can still report suspicious sites and fraud through Nepal Police’s cyber bureau channels — and if you’ve actually lost money, act fast using our online fraud recovery guide.

Reminder: Betting Itself Is Illegal in Nepal

This crackdown isn’t only about websites — it’s about the activity. Online betting and gambling are illegal in Nepal for Nepalis, and the consequences are real: account freezes, investigation, fines and jail terms — and foreign nationals in Nepal are not exempt. The related financial channels are equally risky: crypto-based betting doubles the illegality, since cryptocurrency trading is itself banned in Nepal.

Practical safety rules:

• Never “rent out” your bank account, wallet or SIM to anyone running betting operations — accounts used in betting flows get frozen and investigated.
• Don’t chase “unblocked mirror” sites. New clones of blocked sites are often outright scams that take deposits and vanish — and using them is still illegal.
• If a payment went wrong in any suspicious flow, our digital payment complaint guide maps who to contact, in what order.

The Bigger Picture: Nepal’s Internet Governance Is Getting Faster

Two lakh+ blocks, a 24-hour takedown directive, threat-intelligence hunting, ISP reps sitting inside the regulator, and a public GitHub blocklist — this is a very different operating speed than Nepal’s internet governance of even two years ago. Expect the same playbook to extend beyond betting: illegal financial schemes, fraud networks and scam platforms are named in the same directive, and the reporting channel is open to all of them.

FAQ

How many betting sites has Nepal blocked?

The NTA reports 223,568 betting and illegal financial sites/apps blocked since the FIFA World Cup began, on top of the two lakh+ blocked after the March 2026 (Chaitra 2082) directive. New sites are blocked continuously as they appear.

What is github.com/NTA-OPM?

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority’s public GitHub account hosting the NTA-Blocklist — CSV lists of blocked betting/illegal sites. The public can also use it to flag new illegal sites.

Can I report a betting site without a GitHub account?

GitHub reporting needs a free account. Alternatively, report through Nepal Police cyber-crime channels — especially if money was actually lost.

Is using a VPN to access blocked betting sites legal?

Circumventing blocks to gamble doesn’t make the gambling legal — the activity itself remains illegal for Nepalis, whatever the route. The legal and financial risks stay with you.

Why do blocked betting sites keep coming back?

Operators register new domains (“mirrors”) as soon as old ones are blocked. That’s why the NTA pairs ISP-level blocking with threat-intelligence hunting and public reporting — and why the blocklist grows daily.

Disclaimer: Digital Solution Nepal is an independent educational/digital-service assistance website, not a government body. Figures reflect NTA statements as reported by national media at the time of writing — verify current information on official NTA channels before acting.

Written by

Rabin Paudel

Rabin Paudel is the Founder of Digital Solution, a Content Creator, and an AI Trainer. He shares practical and easy-to-understand content on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy, Online Services, FinTech, and Technology. His mission is to make technology simple, accessible, and useful for everyone.

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