Casinos in Nepal pay RS$810m in royalties

Authorities in Nepal have revealed the government has collected RS$810m in royalties from 17 casinos.

Nepal.- The Nepalese government has collected RS$810m in royalties from Nepal’s casinos, but more than RS$1.1bn (US$9.2m) remains unpaid. Some 17 casinos have paid their licence fees, according to the tourism ministry, but no timetable has been given.

The government had cancelled the casino licences of two hotels for failing to pay royalties. Yak & Yeti Hotel failed to pay Rs420m while Dreamland Hotel failed to pay Rs3.8m. Yak & Yeti’s casino licence was revoked, along with its hotel’s five-star rating. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation sent a letter to five casinos, giving them seven days to pay off their debts.

Casinos in Nepal reopened last September after being ordered to close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All gambling venues in Nepal had been shut since March 24, 2020, when authorities imposed a lockdown due to Covid-19.