Lahore court denies bail to YouTuber Ducky Bhai in online gambling case

A magisterial court in Lahore on Wednesday dismissed the post-arrest bail application of YouTuber Saadur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, in a case pertaining to the alleged promotion of online gambling applications.

Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo heard arguments from both sides before issuing the order. The defence argued that Rehman had been falsely implicated and had no involvement in the allegations, while the prosecution maintained that sufficient evidence connected him to the offence.

Rehman was arrested at Lahore airport on August 17 following a complaint lodged with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The first information report (FIR) was registered under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, including electronic forgery, fraud, spamming, and spoofing, as well as relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code relating to cheating and unlawful trade practices.

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

According to the FIR, Rehman promoted several gambling and betting platforms — including Binomo, 1xBet, Bet365, and B9 Game — through his YouTube channel. The complaint alleged that members of the public invested money through these applications, suffered losses, and were denied promised returns despite millions of rupees being collected.

The court, after hearing the prosecution’s stance, rejected the bail plea.