Tech Desk 
Sep 05, 2025
Online gambling apps are once again in the spotlight in Pakistan, with growing concerns over their impact on users.
A citizen named Chaudhry Tabir ul Haq has filed a historic petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), calling for an immediate ban on online gambling apps used in Pakistan.
Prominent applications like Betway, 1xBet, and Bet365 are named in the petition, which was submitted through Barrister Imran Rashid and Advocate Waheed Ur Rehman Qureshi.
Notably, the petition claims that these companies are taking advantage of weaknesses in the digital payments ecosystem through platforms like Sadapay, JazzCash, and Easypaisa.
Key regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), are accused by the petitioner of failing to take firm action against these platforms.
However, the PTA faces criticism for failing to use the authority provided by the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to block access to these apps.
At the same time, the FIA and SBP are charged with failing to monitor and investigate illicit financial flows connected to internet gambling.
Additionally, the petition cited Articles 2-A, 3, 37(g), and 227 of the Constitution, which ask the court to order the prohibition of online gambling apps, the blocking of associated ads, and the implementation of stronger oversight procedures over financial service providers.
The petitioner also wants PEMRA to launch national awareness campaigns and the FIA to investigate and prosecute those who facilitate online gambling.
Moreover, the petition highlights how online gambling negatively affects Pakistani citizens' moral, mental, and financial health, especially that of the country's youth.
Furthermore, it cautions that inaction could damage Pakistan's reputation with global watchdogs such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) because of purported ties to cryptocurrency abuse and cross-border money laundering.
