How Popular are Online Casinos in Pakistan?
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With more internet and mobile users in Pakistan by the day, we look at how popular online casinos are and what options Pakistani players have.
Are Online Casinos Popular Entertainment in Pakistan?
Pakistan is a massive country with a population of more than 220 million people and a variety of cultures, languages, and ways of living. While there are many different forms of entertainment available to the general public, cinema remains one of the most popular ones, with countless feature films developed every year domestically, and international movie hits attracting massive audiences as well.
However, in recent years, Pakistan has seen an increase in online activities, with more and more people attracted by the various pastimes offered by the internet. With a constantly increasing number of internet users in the country, Pakistan is becoming a country where online entertainment is becoming a way of living for many.
Whether you enjoy gambling yourself or not, you should understand just how popular gambling is in the country, and why online casinos were destined to have great success in Pakistan.
Gambling Laws and Regulations in Pakistan
The Gambling Prevention Act of 1977 prohibits Pakistanis from gambling legally within the country. Operators of any gambling operations are liable for monetary or prison penalties, while those engaging in gambling in such places can also be punished with similar penalties. However, nothing is mentioned about online gambling.
The reality on the ground is much different and Pakistanis have a strong culture of gambling, with or without a specific organization behind it. What’s even more, the nature of live gambling makes online casinos even more attractive.
Since it is prohibited by law, no locals can run an online casino or any other online gambling site within the country. That said, plenty of international online casinos exist out there that will willingly take action from Pakistan players. Thousands of Pakistanis choose to play at such sites as a great alternative to gambling in live gambling facilities that are illegal by nature and not the safest places to gamble for real money.
Online Casinos in Pakistan
As we have already mentioned, there are no specifically Pakistani online casinos, since the country does not allow locals to run such businesses in the country. However, hundreds of online casinos offer services to Pakistani players without any problems.
Looking at the online casinos in Pakistan pictured here, you can see that they offer plenty of action, hundreds of different casino games, valuable casino bonuses, and what’s most important, a safe place to gamble for real cash without any risks associated with potential fraud, money theft, or other similar issues.
While gambling always comes with an element of risk, online casinos truly provide the best possible chance for Pakistani players, who are able to gamble against the house in a fair manner and with only a minor house edge in many games.
Since there are no legal casinos in Pakistan, no gambling facility in the country can offer nearly the variety of games and gambling options that these online casinos have for the players. Overall speaking, the value of playing at these sites is dramatically greater than any other gambling choice that Pakistani residents might have.
Growing Interest in Online Gambling
By some recent reports, Pakistan now has over 60 million internet users, with more than 25 million of those accessing the web using their mobile devices. This is a trend that’s similar to the global one, with a good portion of all internet users going online from their mobile devices.
With internet penetration and mobile coverage constantly on the rise, the interest in all online activities continues to grow by the day, and online casinos are very high up on that list, considering the lack of live alternatives.
The entire region has been somewhat mobile-crazy in recent years, with the strangest reports coming out of India of a young man selling his wife to buy a smartphone, and other similar news.
While this may be a very extreme example of the impact of mobile devices on the local populations, it is no secret that young Pakistanis and Indians have been just a little too obsessed with technology in recent years.
The Future of Online Gambling in the Region
As a country, Pakistan is not likely to regulate and legalize gambling in the near future, for various cultural, religious, and economic reasons.
However, it comes as no surprise that the local governments are not trying to crack down on online gambling too much, as there are simply too many options and it would be incredibly hard to stop the activity altogether.
As such, it is likely that we will continue to see Pakistani players join international online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites, and play their favorite games via the internet instead of risk playing in illegal live gambling dens.
The increasing internet penetration and mobile coverage will continue to give more people access to online casinos, which likely means that more players will continue to flock to these sites and put in even more gameplay hours.
In the end, the best thing Pakistan could probably do is regulate online gambling and license local operators so it could tax them, but it remains to be seen if this is something that’s in the cards for the country.
