NCCIA declares online gambling, casino apps illegal across Pakistan

By Sher Ali Khalti

August 20, 2025

Representational image of people wearing balaclavas are silhouetted as they pose with a laptops in front of a screen projected with the word cyber crime and binary code. — Reuters/File — Representational image of people wearing balaclavas are silhouetted as they pose with a laptops in front of a screen projected with the word 'cyber crime' and binary code. — Reuters/File

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has declared dozens of online gambling, casino, and unregulated forex trading applications illegal across Pakistan.

According to the agency, 46 apps have been banned after investigations revealed they were not only promoting gambling but also harvesting users’ personal data and mobile numbers without consent.

The banned platforms include well-known betting and casino apps such as Aviator Game, Chicken Road, 1xBet, Betway, Dafabet, 22Bet, Melbet, Parimatch, Bet365, Plinko, 10Cric, Rabona, Casumo, BetWinner, 888Starz, and Thunderpick.

In addition, the agency has outlawed multiple apps offering unauthorized access to SIM and CNIC records — including Sim Owner Details, Pak Sim Data, Sky Sim Data, and Sim Tracker — citing them as a serious privacy threat.

Several unregulated forex and binary trading platforms, such as Binomo, IQ Option, Pocket Option, Deriv, Olymp Trade, OctaFX, and Quotex, have also been declared illegal due to the high risk of financial exploitation.

The NCCIA has forwarded the list to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for immediate blocking of the applications nationwide.

Officials further warned that strict action will be taken against developers and promoters of these illegal platforms.