The government of Nepal is preparing to issue new procedures for casinos. Although no details on the procedures are available, the move is aimed at improving the general quality of service and lowering the number of complaints received from casino visitors.

Nepal news source Republica reports that police have been tracking unscrupulous activities in casinos, but are limited by the current Gambling Act merely to keeping Nepalese citizens out of the venues.

Laxman Bhattarai, spokesman for Nepal’s tourism and civil aviation ministry, said they receive complaints regularly about practices inside the casinos.

“We have realized the necessity of close monitoring, and this is why the ministry is planning to introduce a set of regulations.”

There are 10 casinos operating in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Each casino pays the government a fee of 20 million rupees—about $265,000. A decline in Indian tourists has local operators lobbying to amend the law that bars Nepalese citizens from gambling in their casinos. One operator told Republica that 80 percent of his revenue now comes from Nepalese players.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.