Casino Royale Kathmandu

Casino Royale at the Yak & Yeti Hotel is Nepal's oldest gaming establishment, having operated since 1968 when Nepal's government issued its first casino licences to the major Kathmandu hotels as a means of earning foreign exchange from the country's rapidly growing mountaineering and trekking tourism. The casino opened in the same era that Everest Base Camp expeditions were becoming a regular fixture and Kathmandu was establishing itself as a gateway for Himalayan adventures — a position the city still occupies today.

The Yak & Yeti Hotel itself has a rich history: originally two palaces built for Rana aristocrats in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the buildings were converted into a hotel in the 1960s and retain their elegant neoclassical architecture alongside modern extensions. Casino Royale occupies a suite of rooms within the hotel, offering roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and slot machines exclusively to foreign nationals — consistent with Nepal's gaming law.

Kathmandu's casino scene is small by international standards but holds a particular character: the combination of high-altitude arrival (Tribhuvan International Airport is at 1,338 metres, with the city at 1,400 metres), the ancient temples and stupas of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage zone, and the constant flow of climbers, trekkers, and adventure tourists from around the world creates a uniquely atmospheric environment for the handful of hotel casinos that serve the city.