• Pakistan’s cybercrime agency ( NCCIA) has ordered the blocking of 46 mobile applications, including prominent international brands like Dafabet and 22Bet.
• The crackdown targets platforms offering illegal gambling, unlicensed forex trading, and those accused of serious privacy breaches like harvesting user data.
• The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been instructed to enforce the nationwide ban on the named apps.
• This move is a major escalation of a wider government offensive against the black market, which has recently included the arrest of high-profile YouTuber, ‘Ducky Bhai’.
• Authorities have warned that the apps pose a “doubly dangerous” threat to citizens through both financial exploitation and the risk of identity theft.

Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has executed one of the country’s most extensive digital crackdowns to date, ordering the nationwide blocking of 46 mobile applications linked to illegal gambling and other illicit activities.

The list of banned apps includes a number of well-known international gambling brands, such as Dafabet, 22Bet, Plinko, and Rabona. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been tasked with enforcing the ban, which represents a major escalation in the government’s fight against the online black market.

Targeting a ‘Doubly Dangerous’ Threat

According to the NCCIA, the banned applications pose a multi-faceted threat to the public. Beyond offering illegal gambling in a country where it is prohibited, many of the apps were also found to be providing unregulated forex and binary trading services, which authorities say facilitate scams and illegal fund transfers.

Furthermore, the agency warned that its investigation had uncovered serious privacy violations. Some of the applications were found to be secretly collecting sensitive personal data from users’ devices, including mobile identifiers and SIM details, creating a significant risk of identity theft. “The combination of financial exploitation and privacy violations makes these platforms doubly dangerous,” an NCCIA spokesperson said.

The Latest Move in a Coordinated Crackdown

This mass-blocking of apps is not an isolated event but the latest and most decisive step in a coordinated government offensive against the entire illegal gambling ecosystem. The move follows a series of high-profile actions targeting the marketing and promotion of these services.

Just last week, prominent YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, known as ‘Ducky Bhai’, was arrested by the NCCIA for allegedly promoting some of these same illicit platforms. A separate complaint has also been filed against cricket legend Wasim Akram on similar grounds. This demonstrates a clear strategy to simultaneously dismantle the products and pursue their promoters.

A Clear Warning to Offshore Operators

The crackdown is a powerful and unambiguous signal from Pakistani authorities. By taking decisive action against major international brands and high-profile local influencers, the government is making it clear that it will not tolerate the targeting of its citizens by unlicensed operators.

For the international iGaming industry, the message is stark: Pakistan is a high-risk, zero-tolerance environment, and any attempt to operate in its black market now comes with the very real threat of product blocking and legal action against marketing partners.