Court dismisses Ducky Bhai's bail plea in gambling apps case

A Lahore court has rejected the bail application of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, in a case pertaining to alleged promotion of gambling apps.

Rehman was taken into custody on August 17 from Allama Iqbal International Airport while attempting to leave the country.

Magistrate Muhammad Naeem Wattoo ruled that his actions had extraordinary effects on society, particularly on young people. He observed that the YouTuber had neither denied his ties with the app nor provided any credible explanation for the recovered funds.

He said the technical reports were enough to establish Rehman’s links to illegal gambling apps and stressed that social media influencers bear responsibility for the content they promote. Concluding that Rehman’s activities had far-reaching consequences because of his large youth following, the court dismissed the bail plea.

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During arguments, defence lawyer Chaudhry Usman Ali contended that the investigation was mishandled and lacked proof that Rehman had served as country manager for the betting platform Binomo. He noted that the app had been banned only after his client’s arrest and termed the case “frivolous.”

Prosecutor Zaina Zaheer argued that gambling remained prohibited in Pakistan regardless of whether a specific application was banned or not. She said digital evidence recovered from Rehman’s laptop and two mobile phones — including audio conversations with Binomo officials — confirmed his association with the platform.

The prosecution further told the court that $326,420 had been traced to one of Rehman’s accounts, allegedly received in exchange for promoting the illegal application.