Simon’s Guide to Gambling in Pakistan – Lottery and more
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Guide to Gambling in Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the 6th most populous country in the world with a population of 199 million.* Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometer coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Golf of Oman in the south. The country shares borders with India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China to the northeast. Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 4 provinces and 4 federal territories.
Throughout its history, Pakistan was part of many empires including the Indian Mauryan Empire, the Persian Achaemenid Empire, Alexander The Great’s Empire, the Arab Umayyad Caliphate, the Mongol Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Durrani Empire, the Sikh Empire, and finally the British Empire. Pakistan as an independent nation was created in 1947 due to the Pakistan Movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan then adopted a new constitution in 1956 becoming an Islamic republic. The official language stayed English with Urdu as their second official language. A civil war in 1971 resulted in the departure of East Pakistan, which became a new country named Bangladesh.
After gaining its independence, Pakistan’s history has been characterized by periods of military dictatorships, political instability, and conflicts with neighboring India. Pakistan has the 7th largest army in the world, and the first of the Muslim World to have nuclear weapons. However, the country faces many problems like overpopulation, terrorism, poverty, illiteracy, and corruption among others.
Due to the Islamic religion’s dominance in the country, any form of gambling (even online) is illegal in Pakistan.
Playing in an online casino counts as operating a gambling den and players can face jail time too!
There are some laws issued about gambling in Pakistan like one of the most important one, The Prevention of Gambling Act of 1977, which forbids any kind of gambling in the country.* This anti-gambling law is heavily enforced because the authorities make a couple hundred arrests due to illegal gambling yearly. The penalty for illegal gambling can go from a fine of a couple hundred rupees to a couple thousand and 5 years of jail time.
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*U.S. and World Population Clock
*The Prevention of Gambling Act of 1977
*Pakistan Observer: Wager Complication
Summary:
- Casino gambling in Pakistan
- Bingo in Pakistan
- Poker in Pakistan
- Sports betting in Pakistan
- Lottery in Pakistan
- Bitcoin gambling in Pakistan
Casino gambling in Pakistan
Online casino gambling in Pakistan: illegal, players are prosecuted
Pakistan is an Islamic nation and the Islamic laws are in the country’s constitution. Islam forbids any kind of gambling because the Quran says that it is evil and has ill effects on social life. Therefore, there are no legal land-based casinos in Pakistan. There are many illegal gambling dens in the country but anyone who participates in gambling can face jail time. Online gambling is illegal as well because it counts as operating a gambling den and the penalty can be jail time because it is considered a serious offense.
The following online casinos accept players from Pakistan:
Even though there are a few online casinos, which accept players from Pakistan (despite the fact that online gambling is illegal in the country). Still, we do not advise anyone from Pakistan to play online. Therefore I can not recommend an online casinos.
Bingo in Pakistan
Online bingo in Pakistan: illegal, players are prosecuted
Bingo is a popular form of gambling around the world, especially in the US. In Pakistan due to the Islamic religion, all forms of gambling are forbidden (and bingo is practically unheard of). The government issued laws against online gambling too, and the penalties can include jail time up to 5 years and fines.
The following online bingo websites accept players from Pakistan:
Online gambling is illegal in Pakistan, therefore I can not recommend any.
Poker in Pakistan
Online poker in Pakistan: illegal, players are prosecuted
Poker is one of the most (if not the most) popular casino games out there. This evidenced by the constant television broadcasts and world championships. Many consider poker as a game of skill, observation, and patience, not gambling. However, it still counts as a form of gambling in Pakistan, so it is forbidden. Anyone who caught playing could face jail time.
The following online poker websites accept players from Pakistan:
Online gambling is illegal in Pakistan therefore I can not recommend any poker websites.
Sports betting in Pakistan
Online sports betting in Pakistan: illegal, players are prosecuted
Sports betting is another very popular form of gambling. Sports are very popular in Pakistan, especially field hockey which is the country’s national sport. The country won multiple gold medals in the Olympic Games and World Cups throughout the years in field hockey. However, betting on sports count as gambling, so it is completely illegal in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and players are prosecuted and can potentially end up in jail.
The following online sportsbooks accept players from Pakistan:
Online sports betting is illegal in the country, therefore I can not recommend any online bookmakers to people from Pakistan.
Lottery in Pakistan
Online lottery in Pakistan: illegal, players are prosecuted
The lottery is the most common form of gambling in the world. Almost every country where gambling is legal has some form of lottery. In Pakistan, any form of gambling is illegal due to the teachings of the Quran, and that includes the lottery too. So there is no actual Pakistani lottery at all. The closest thing to the lottery in Pakistan are the prize bonds. Basically, the player has to make an investment in different valued gold ranging from Rs. 200 to Rs. 40,000. The award depends on the bond’s value the player invested in. Drawing occurs on a quarterly basis in Pakistan.
Prize bonds are not considered a form of gambling, and therefore they are legal in Pakistan. However, online lotteries (foreign online lotteries included) are illegal.
Bitcoin gambling in Pakistan
Bitcoin gambling in Pakistan: illegal
Bitcoin is a digital currency often referred to as a “cryptocurrency” invented by Satoshi Nakamoto back in 2008. Bitcoin became a popular alternative paying option since its inception and it doesn’t seem to stop gaining ground around the world. Many country sees Bitcoin as an asset rather than a currency but few of them made any laws concerning it. The Bitcoin gambling is another way to make use of this currency especially due to its anonymous nature. In Pakistan, there are no specific laws concerning Bitcoin or Bitcoin gambling (like in many other nations as of now). However, it is safe to say that if it is a form of gambling then it is illegal and players are prosecuted.
The following Bitcoin casinos accept players from Pakistan:
Even though Bitcoin transactions are very hard to track and many Bitcoin casinos accept player from the country, still, I can not in good conscience recommend any. Online gambling is illegal in Pakistan be it regular currency or digital currency. Penalty can be up to 5 years in prison and heavy fines.
If you have questions or any feedback don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. Please let me know in the comments section if you think we might have gotten something wrong or if you have additional information, clarification about the legal status of online gambling in this country.
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This page is part of Simon’s List – Legal Status of Online Gambling – a definitive guide to the legal status of all forms of online gambling activities in every country around the world.
Last updated: 2016-02-04
Very nice article. Can we get a real time example of every type defined above
I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question.