India Today visited casinos near the India-Nepal border in cities like Dhangadhi and Kanchanpur, where the aftermath of recent violent protests is clearly visible. Several of these facilities were targeted during the unrest, and were vandalised and looted.
Nepal is slowly emerging from five days of violent protests that have left at least 50 people dead and caused widespread damage across several cities. While the protests initially targeted government offices and infrastructure, the unrest soon spread to private businesses, including one of Nepal’s most prominent and lucrative sectors: the casino industry.
Casinos in Nepal, particularly those located near the India-Nepal border in cities like Dhangadhi and Kanchanpur, catering primarily to Indian tourists and foreign nationals as local Nepali citizens are not permitted to gamble, have been vandalised and looted.
In Kanchanpur, one of the city’s biggest casinos was stormed by a large crowd during the peak of the unrest. The mob reportedly forced entry into the building, damaged slot machines and gaming tables, looted cash and valuables, and caused extensive destruction across multiple areas of the facility, including the dance floor and restaurant sections.
The remnants of broken furniture, shattered mirrors and disconnected electrical systems are visible throughout the property, which now remains sealed off.
The recent turmoil has also put a heavy economic toll. In Dhangadhi, where India Today visited the site of a major casino, the building stands locked and deserted. There is no activity inside and security guards are not letting anyone near the premises.
These establishments, often housed within or attached to large hotels, play a significant role in the tourism economy of the region. However, following the wave of unrest, many of these casinos have either been vandalised or ransacked and all have now been shut down indefinitely.
According to local sources, the casinos has been closed since the protests turned violent. Business owners and hotel operators in the area have expressed concern over safety, especially after reports emerged that a mob had attacked and set fire to the Hilton Hotel nearby, a property closely linked to one of the largest casinos in the region.
Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu, which alone reported damages exceeding Rs 8 billion, My Republica news portal reported, quoting a HAN statement.
Additionally, Nepal’s hotel industry, a key pillar of its tourism-driven economy, has incurred losses exceeding Rs 25 billion following widespread vandalism, looting and arson during the recent student-led anti-government protests, according to a media report released Friday.
Nearly two dozen hotels across major cities including Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Jhapa, Biratnagar, Dhangadhi, Mahottari and Dang-Tulsipur were damaged during the unrest. Both domestic and international hotel brands were affected.
According to the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), many of the damaged properties will remain closed until significant repairs and reconstruction are completed, putting the jobs of more than 2,000 hotel workers at risk.
Meanwhile, the appointment of Sushila Karki as Nepal’s first woman interim Prime Minister has brought some hope of political calm. However, the road to recovery for the tourism and casino sectors is expected to be long.
Normalcy is gradually returning to Kathmandu and other areas of Nepal. During a visit to the capital this morning, India Today observed vehicles, including public transport, moving freely, indicating that daily activities are slowly resuming.
