Is Pak Games legal in Pakistan? The short answer
No. Pak Games is a real-money gambling app, and gambling is illegal in Pakistan. There is no Pakistani licence for apps like it, so it operates outside the law.
Four facts make the position clear:
- The Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 makes gambling illegal across Pakistan.
- PTA blocks gambling websites and apps under section 37 of PECA 2016.
- NCCIA declared 46 betting and related apps illegal in August 2025.
- NCCIA has filed criminal cases against YouTubers and influencers who promoted betting apps.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and enforcement change. If you have received a notice, are facing a case or have a frozen account, speak to a qualified lawyer in Pakistan.
What does the Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 say?
The Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 is Pakistan’s main law against gambling. It extends to the whole of Pakistan and replaced the separate provincial gambling ordinances of 1961.
The Act was written long before smartphones and betting apps, and it does not mention the internet. The authorities still apply it to online betting. The newer cyber-crime law, PECA 2016, is used alongside it to block apps and to bring cases against people who promote them.
In plain terms, betting money on a game of chance is gambling. That includes colour prediction, dice and crash games. Doing it on a phone instead of at a table doesn’t change that.
How does PTA block betting apps under PECA 2016?
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocks websites and apps it treats as unlawful. Its power comes from section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
The numbers have grown quickly:
| Date | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 6 August 2025 | The government told the National Assembly that PTA had blocked 184 gambling websites and apps | ARY News |
| 20 September 2025 | PTA had blocked 260 betting and gambling websites and apps, acting under section 37 of PECA | The News |
The September report also described betting platforms that resurface after a ban, with new campaigns and sponsorships, less than a year after the caretaker government banned more than 150 platforms in 2024. The August answer to the National Assembly noted that taking legal action against individuals falls outside PTA’s jurisdiction. That job sits with investigators such as NCCIA.
Whether a particular Pak Games web address is blocked at a given moment is not something we can confirm. We don’t give advice on getting around blocks.
What was on NCCIA’s August 2025 list of illegal apps?
On 20 August 2025 the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) declared 46 apps illegal across Pakistan and sent the list to PTA for blocking, according to The News. The list covered three groups:
- Betting and casino apps, including an app listed as “Aviator Game”, Chicken Road, 1xBet, Betway, Dafabet, 22Bet, Melbet, Parimatch and Bet365.
- Apps that expose SIM and CNIC data, such as SIM owner lookup apps.
- Forex and binary-trading apps, including Binomo, IQ Option and Quotex.
NCCIA said these platforms harvested personal data without consent and put people at financial risk. It warned that strict action would be taken against their developers and promoters.
Pak Games was not among the names in news reports of the list. That does not make it legal. The 1977 Act applies to gambling in general, not only to apps that appear on a list. Aviator is also reported among the games inside Pak Games, and our Aviator guide explains what the listing means for that game.
Who has been charged for promoting betting apps?
NCCIA has gone after the people who advertise betting apps, not only the apps themselves.
- Ducky Bhai (Saadur Rehman), a YouTuber, was arrested on 17 August 2025 at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. Digital Rights Monitor reported that a Lahore court rejected his bail application.
- Rajab Butt, Anas Ali and Hurairah face cases under PECA and fraud laws, Digital Rights Monitor reported, after they did not comply with NCCIA notices to stop promoting gambling and binary-trading platforms. In December 2025 the Islamabad High Court granted Rajab Butt one-day protective bail in cases that included gambling app promotion (APP).
- Iqra Kanwal, a YouTuber, faces an FIR that NCCIA registered on 24 September 2025 over alleged promotion of a gambling app. On 17 February 2026 the Lahore High Court dismissed her petition to quash the FIR, so the investigation continues. Her lawyer argued she had not encouraged followers to use a gambling app.
An arrest, FIR or case is not a conviction. These matters were still before the courts in the reports cited here. What they show is that promoting betting apps in Pakistan now carries real criminal risk.
The court petition about JazzCash and EasyPaisa (reported)
In September 2025 ProPakistani reported that a citizen had filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking a ban on gambling apps such as Betway, 1xBet and Bet365. According to that report, the petition:
- says betting operators use Easypaisa, JazzCash and SadaPay, with payments disguised as ordinary person-to-person or business transfers;
- names the Interior Ministry, PTA, FIA, the State Bank of Pakistan and PEMRA as respondents;
- relies on gambling law, the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010.
We have not confirmed the outcome of this petition. The point for players is simple. Betting payments through mobile wallets are now under legal scrutiny, and every wallet that moves that money is registered to a real person.
What does this mean for you?
The risk depends on what you do. Here is how it breaks down.
If you play Pak Games
- Gambling is an offence under the 1977 Act. Reported enforcement in 2025 and 2026 has focused on blocking platforms and on promoters. That does not make playing legal.
- If the app refuses a withdrawal, closes your account or stops working, there is no licensing body to complain to.
- Your deposits and withdrawals appear in your JazzCash or EasyPaisa history, which is linked to your CNIC.
If you promote betting apps
- YouTubers and TikTokers have been arrested and charged under PECA and fraud laws for promoting betting apps.
- The reported cases involved videos that encouraged viewers to use betting or trading platforms. If you share a Pak Games invite code or “withdrawal proof” videos in public, you are promoting a gambling app in a country where that has led to arrests.
If you let others use your JazzCash or EasyPaisa account
- Some people are offered money to “rent” their mobile wallet or SIM so others can move betting money through it.
- The account is registered to your CNIC and SIM. Every transaction through it is recorded against your name.
- If that money comes from betting or fraud, you are the first person investigators can trace. The provider may also block your account. Our payment scams guide explains how these “account rental” offers work.
If someone demands money to “close your case”
- Scammers also pose as officials. Be wary of any call or message from someone who says they are from NCCIA or the police and that you can settle a gambling case by paying through JazzCash or EasyPaisa.
- Don’t pay, and don’t share your OTP or CNIC details on the call. Ask for a written notice, keep a record of the number, and check with a lawyer before you do anything else.
Why isn’t Pak Games on Google Play or in Google ads?
Google’s own rules keep apps like this off its platforms in Pakistan.
- Google Play only allows real-money gambling apps when the developer holds a valid gambling licence for each country where the app is offered. Pakistan does not issue such licences, so Pak Games is distributed as an APK file and a web app. An APK you download from a website has not been through Google Play’s app review.
- Google Ads publishes the list of countries where gambling ads can run, and Pakistan is not on it.
This is also why fake APK files and copycat “Pak Games” apps are common. Read how to spot a fake Pak Games APK before you install anything.
Pak Games legal hai ya nahi? (Roman Urdu)
Nahi. Pakistan mein jua Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 ke tehat ghair qanooni hai. PTA, PECA 2016 ke section 37 ke tehat betting apps aur websites block karti hai. August 2025 mein NCCIA ne 46 apps ko ghair qanooni qarar diya. Betting apps ki promotion karne wale YouTubers par muqadmat bhi darj hue.
- Khelne walon ke liye: paise phans jayen to koi regulator madad nahi karega.
- Promote karne walon ke liye: giraftariyan aur FIRs ho chuki hain.
- Wallet walon ke liye: apna JazzCash ya EasyPaisa account kisi aur ko istemal ke liye na dein. Har transaction aap ke CNIC par darj hoti hai.
Yeh aam maloomat hai, qanooni mashwara nahi. Kisi notice ya case ki soorat mein wakeel se baat karein.
What to do next
- Weighing up whether to play? Our real or fake review sets out what works, what goes wrong and who should not play at all.
- Want to cut down or stop? The responsible gaming guide explains how, and where to find help.
- Received a notice or facing a case? Speak to a qualified lawyer in Pakistan, keep every document, and don’t pay anyone who promises to make a case go away.