--- title: "Islamic Republic of Pakistan gambling licensing, cost and supervision | advennt.io" canonical: https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/pakistan/ source_html: /jurisdictions/pk/index.html description: "Islamic Republic of Pakistan gambling regulation by game: 1 open · 16 closed · 3 uncertain." generated_at: 2026-10-27T06:55:39Z content_sha256: 8f0457e2069e9ef753c5944bb4b184b817fe75e6fa27cd068d72a6343e9fb713 generator: "fe-fleet/md-twin@1.0" --- # Islamic Republic of Pakistan gambling licensing, cost and supervision | advennt.io [Jurisdictions](/jurisdictions/) › Islamic Republic of Pakistan # Islamic Republic of Pakistan National jurisdiction Lawful market entry is impossible: there is no licence, no regulator and active criminal/regulatory exposure for any gambling-related activity. [1 open · 16 closed · 3 uncertain → 20 classes](#products) Collected 25 Oct 2026 · Published 26 Oct 2026 · Changed 25 Oct 2026 [PDF](report.pdf) [Sign in for PDF](https://advennt.io/auth/) [Compare](/compare/?j=pakistan) ## Can we offer our product? Every product class, in fixed taxonomy order. The band is what you can do; where the recorded legal status says something the band does not, it is shown beside the product. ### Player products - CasinoProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - PokerProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - BingoProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - LotteryProhibitedXClosed - Sports bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - Other event bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - Horse and greyhound racing bettingProhibited · ContestedXClosedVaries by form · 1On course totalizator: historical_derogation - Esports bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - Exchange bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - Pool bettingProhibited · ContestedXClosed - Virtual event bettingProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - Fantasy sportsProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - Skill gamesGrey zone · Models agree?Uncertain - Prediction marketsProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - SweepstakesProhibited · Models agreeXClosed - Free playOutside the regulatory perimeter · ContestedOOpen ### Supply roles - Software / B2BGrey zone · Models agree?Uncertain - Affiliate marketingGrey zone · Models agree?Uncertain - Payments for gamblingProhibited · ContestedXClosed ### Settlement rail - Crypto gamblingProhibitedXClosed Class-level certainty is graded for 18 of 20 classes. ## Board briefing Pakistan is a closed, hostile prohibition jurisdiction with no lawful gambling entry pathway. #### What has changed - Enforcement has shifted online and financial: PTA reported 184 betting/gambling sites blocked under PECA 2016 (Aug 2025), courts are hearing a ban petition, and payment-rail monitoring is intensifying. #### What to do now - Do not pursue any B2C, B2B, affiliate or payment role touching Pakistan. Treat PK exposure as an AML/legal risk to screen out of global flows. #### What to watch - The Islamabad High Court ban petition outcome and any move toward systematic payment-rail interdiction. ## 11 answers, each dated and graded The weather grades favourability for an operator, not legality: legality is the product table above. The left rule is our confidence: solid confirmed, dashed probable, dotted uncertain. 01 · What kind of market is this? ### Overview Unfavourable Pakistan (~230 million population, >97% Muslim) maintains a near-absolute constitutional and statutory prohibition on all forms of gambling. The federal Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 extends to the whole country and overrides other laws, reinforced by the Pakistan Penal Code and constitutional Isl… Full analysis · 92 words Pakistan (~230 million population, >97% Muslim) maintains a near-absolute constitutional and statutory prohibition on all forms of gambling. The federal Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 extends to the whole country and overrides other laws, reinforced by the Pakistan Penal Code and constitutional Islamic injunctions (Articles 31, 227, 37(g)). No gambling regulator, licence, or state lottery exists. A significant illegal offshore market — concentrated on cricket — persists, creating AML and payment-facilitation exposure rather than a commercially accessible market. This is a closed, hostile jurisdiction: a legal/AML risk signal, not an entry opportunity. - Absolute constitutional and statutory prohibition with no licence pathway - PTA site-blocking under PECA 2016 Section 37 - Payment-rail monitoring pressure (SBP/FMU; mobile-money directives) - Elevated post-FATF-grey-list AML posture Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/overview/) 02 · Can we get a licence? ### Licensing and regulation Unfavourable There is no gambling regulator and no licensing framework. The Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 prohibits all gambling and overrides other laws; the only statutory saving (s.11) is for games in a provincially licensed 'tourist complex' admitting foreigners only — a marginal historical derogation, not… Full analysis · 67 words There is no gambling regulator and no licensing framework. The Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 prohibits all gambling and overrides other laws; the only statutory saving (s.11) is for games in a provincially licensed 'tourist complex' admitting foreigners only — a marginal historical derogation, not a commercial pathway. No B2C or B2B licence has ever been issued and no state lottery exists. All product classes are prohibited. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/licensing/) 03 · How hard is entry, really? ### Market entry in practice Unfavourable Lawful market entry is impossible: there is no licence, no regulator and active criminal/regulatory exposure for any gambling-related activity. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/market-entry/) 04 · What do the licences cost? ### Licence fees Unfavourable No licensing fee regime exists because no gambling licence is issued. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/fees/) 05 · What is the tax take? ### Tax Unfavourable No gambling tax regime exists because gambling is prohibited; the Federal Board of Revenue taxes only lawful activity. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/taxes/) 06 · Can we move player money? ### Payments and banking Unfavourable Banking and payment access for gambling is indefensible. SBP foreign-exchange rules prohibit gambling remittances; AMLA 2010 designates gambling proceeds as proceeds of crime; mobile-money rails (JazzCash, Easypaisa, SadaPay) are exploited via disguised P2P transfers, attracting monitoring pressure. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/payments/) 07 · Can we advertise? ### Marketing Unfavourable All gambling marketing is unlawful. Advertising unregistered gambling sites is treated as an offence under PECA 2016; PEMRA, PTA and PCB are directed not to contract with betting-linked surrogate companies, and the Peshawar High Court barred betting sponsorship of PSL cricket teams. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/marketing/) 08 · What must the platform meet? ### Technical compliance Unfavourable No gambling technical-compliance regime exists. Access interdiction is the operative technical posture: PTA blocks gambling domains/apps under PECA 2016 on a complaint basis. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/technical/) 09 · Can we ship through apps and platforms? ### Distribution and platforms Unfavourable The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency's action against 46 applications linked to illegal gambling, unlicensed trading, and data-privacy breaches operated at the distribution and platform-access layer, blocking applications rather than amending any licensing text. This is a probable-confidenc… Full analysis · 138 words The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency's action against 46 applications linked to illegal gambling, unlicensed trading, and data-privacy breaches operated at the distribution and platform-access layer, blocking applications rather than amending any licensing text. This is a probable-confidence finding, corroborated across independent trade-press coverage, though no primary regulator notice from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority or the Federal Investigation Agency was located this cycle to confirm the scope of the block list. The action represents a tightening of the practical barrier facing any gambling-adjacent product that might otherwise reach Pakistani users through app-store or direct-download channels, even though the underlying statutory prohibition under the Prevention of Gambling Act, 1977 has not itself changed. Distribution-layer enforcement of this kind now sits alongside, rather than in place of, the base prohibition as the practical mechanism shaping platform access into the jurisdiction. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/distribution/) 10 · How hard does the regulator enforce? ### Enforcement Unfavourable The Federal Investigation Agency intensified action against gambling-linked payment-aggregator flows, with press reporting on 8 October 2026 describing more than PKR 119.93 billion in traced transactions linked to gambling applications. JazzCash closed over one hundred aggregator accounts following … Full analysis · 209 words The Federal Investigation Agency intensified action against gambling-linked payment-aggregator flows, with press reporting on 8 October 2026 describing more than PKR 119.93 billion in traced transactions linked to gambling applications. JazzCash closed over one hundred aggregator accounts following FIA notices, with some reporting as high as three hundred, and Easypaisa merchant and aggregator settlements were delayed, affecting six major payment companies. A separate first information report, filed by the FIA's Composite Circle in Faisalabad, names eight suspects connected to six gambling platforms (U7777 Game, TD777, Game89, EPIWIN, B9 Game, S9 Game), alleging use of bank transfers, mobile wallets and USDT for real-money betting, with charges under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 and the Pakistan Penal Code. A single press report also describes the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocking forty-six related applications; this figure is not independently corroborated. No FIA or State Bank primary notice has yet been located to corroborate the aggregate transaction figure, which rests on converging press reporting. The statutory basis for accessory liability in both matters is the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947, applied against unlicensed gambling-linked value transfer through mobile wallets and payment aggregators, and the sustained, multi-agency character of the action signals active criminal exposure for any payment channel found to serve gambling platforms. Confirmed AI-generated 10 enforcement events [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/enforcement/) 11 · What is coming? ### Outlook Unfavourable The constitutional position (Islamic injunctions; Article 37(g)) makes broad legalisation highly unlikely; no formal legislative movement toward liberalisation exists. The trajectory is toward enforcement modernisation — payment monitoring and platform accountability — not market opening. Confirmed AI-generated [Read full analysis & tables →](/jurisdictions/pakistan/outlook/) Evidential record & source register 0 enforcement · 25 red flags · 12 sources · Expand full record ## What gets operators fined 25 red flags (10 high, 9 medium, 2 low) and 0 controls that address them. - highOperating a website accessible in PakistanPTA blocks gambling domains under PECA 2016 Section 37.Source 5 · T2 - highAdvertising or sponsorship of any betting brandAdvertising unregistered gambling is a PECA offence; courts have barred PSL sponsorship.Source 8 · T2 - highStablecoin settlement for bettingUSDT routing to evade banking filters is an enforcement focus.Source 12 · T3 - highKeeping a common gaming-housePGA 1977 s.3 carries imprisonment and fine.Source 9 · T3 - highSupplying software to operators targeting PKNo B2B pathway exists; supply facilitates unlawful gambling.Source 1 · T1 - highLocal agent or cash-out networkFIA traces betting financial transactions and prosecutes facilitators.Source 8 · T2 - highListing a gambling app for PK usersApps are blocked and store availability is restricted.Source 5 · T2 - highCross-border ML exposure post-grey-listElevated AML posture after October 2022 exit; scrutiny remains.Source 2 · T1 - highRouting settlement through PK correspondent banksSBP forex rules prohibit gambling remittances.Source 2 · T1 - highLocal director/manager of a facilitation entityIndividuals face criminal liability under PGA and PECA.Source 9 · T3 - mediumAssuming a state-lottery carve-out existsPakistan has no state lottery; no carve-out from prohibition.Source 1 · T1 - mediumBrand association with PK gamblingHigh-profile court petitions and FATF sensitivity raise reputational exposure.Source 7 · T2 - mediumRelying on the s.11 tourist-complex savingMarginal, foreigners-only derogation — not a commercial route.Source 9 · T3 - mediumEncouraging VPN circumvention of blocksCircumvention does not legalise activity and adds exposure.Source 5 · T2 - mediumPending IHC ban petitionAn adverse directive could mandate broader payment/ad blocking.Source 7 · T2 - mediumMarketing a 'skill' product to evade the banSkill/chance line is applied through enforcement practice; risk is high.Source 9 · T3 - mediumBroadcast or media tie-up with betting brandPEMRA directed not to contract with betting surrogates.Source 5 · T2 - mediumHolding PK player data for gamblingData tied to unlawful activity compounds criminal exposure.Source 9 · T3 - mediumAssuming light-touch enforcementTrajectory is toward payment-monitoring and platform accountability.Source 7 · T2 - lowAssuming provincial divergenceProvincial ordinances mirror the federal prohibition.Source 1 · T1 - lowTreating National Prize Bonds as a gambling precedentBonds are a contested savings security, not a gambling licence basis.Source 12 · T3 - criticalAny gambling licence applicationNo regulator or licence exists; activity is criminal.Source 1 · T1 - criticalReliance on a future legalisation pathwayArticle 37(g) and Islamic injunctions make liberalisation highly unlikely.Source 12 · T3 - criticalProcessing player funds via JazzCash/Easypaisa/SadaPayMobile-money rails are flagged and treated as money laundering.Source 7 · T2 - criticalReceiving gambling proceeds through PK banksAMLA 2010 designates gambling proceeds as proceeds of crime.Source 2 · T1 ## Worked scenarios 5 entry scenarios, each with the move we would make. #### An offshore sportsbook wishes to accept Pakistani players online. All gambling is prohibited under the PGA 1977; the site is liable to PTA blocking under PECA 2016 and operators/facilitators face criminal and AML exposure. Do this: Geo-block Pakistan entirely; do not onboard PK-resident players. Source 1 · T1 Source 5 · T2 #### A PSP is asked to process gambling deposits via JazzCash/Easypaisa. SBP rules prohibit gambling remittances and AMLA 2010 treats proceeds as criminal; disguised P2P transfers are an active enforcement focus. Do this: Refuse; treat gambling MCCs and disguised transfers as prohibited. Source 2 · T1 Source 7 · T2 #### A cricket team is offered a betting-brand jersey sponsorship. The Peshawar High Court barred betting sponsorship of PSL teams; surrogate sponsorship violates the prohibition. Do this: Decline all betting and surrogate-betting sponsorship. Source 8 · T2 #### A B2B platform vendor considers supplying software to an operator targeting PK. No B2B licence pathway exists; supply facilitates unlawful gambling and risks facilitation liability. Do this: Contractually exclude PK from the operator's permitted markets. Source 1 · T1 Source 9 · T3 #### An influencer is paid to promote a betting app in Pakistan. Advertising unregistered gambling is treated as a PECA offence; FIA has pursued such facilitation. Do this: Avoid all PK betting promotion; reject affiliate deals scoped to PK. Source 8 · T2 ## What we looked for and could not find Confirmed absence is a finding of its own. These are the questions we searched and could not answer from a citable source, with the searches we ran. Never behind the paywall. Competitive landscape. no published estimate of illegal/unlicensed gambling market share exists; figure not estimated per family rules. - searched: Pakistan illegal gambling market size estimate - searched: Pakistan cricket betting market value - searched: Pakistan offshore betting turnover estimate - checked: fatf-gafi.org Aml cft regime. FMU STR statistics for the gambling category not publicly published; reporting threshold not located. - searched: Pakistan FMU STR gambling statistics - searched: State Bank Pakistan AML reporting threshold gambling - searched: Financial Monitoring Unit Pakistan annual report gambling - checked: mofa.gov.pk ## Source register Every source on a four-step tier scale. A claim is never shown at a stronger tier than the source it cites. 12 sources · 4 tier 1 · 4 tier 2 · 4 tier 3 No. Source Tier Verification 1 PK-PGA-1977 T1 of 4 Source 1 · Open in drawer → 2 PK-FATF-EXIT-2022 T1 of 4 Source 2 · Open in drawer → 3 PK-FATF-DETAIL T1 of 4 Source 3 · Open in drawer → 4 PK-PGA-PUNJAB T1 of 4 Source 4 · Open in drawer → 5 PK-PTA-BLOCK-2025 T2 of 4 Source 5 · Open in drawer → 6 PK-PTA-BLOCK-ARY T2 of 4 Source 6 · Open in drawer → 7 PK-IHC-PETITION-2025 T2 of 4 Source 7 · Open in drawer → 8 PK-PHC-PSL-2024 T2 of 4 Source 8 · Open in drawer → 9 PK-PGA-1977-TEXT T3 of 4 Source 9 · Open in drawer → 10 PK-GAMBLING-WIKI T3 of 4 Source 10 · Open in drawer → 11 PK-FATF-ICAP-CASE T3 of 4 Source 11 · Open in drawer → 12 PK-IGT-OVERVIEW T3 of 4 Source 12 · Open in drawer →