YouTuber Ducky Bhai granted bail in Gambling Promotion Case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has granted bail to YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman alias Ducky Bhai in a high-profile case in which he is accused of promoting illegal gambling and betting applications.

Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry, while granting YouTube’s bail application, directed him to submit surety bonds of Rs 1 million. Ducky Bhai appeared in court represented by his legal team Imran Raza Chadhar and Shahryar Goraya.

The YouTuber, with millions of followers, was in the custody of NCCIA authorities after his arrest at Lahore airport in mid-August. The charges fall under several sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 as well as charges under the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to investigators, the case formally began on June 13 after an inquiry revealed that several influencers were allegedly promoting gambling and betting platforms in exchange for financial benefits. The FIR claims that countless citizens invested their hard-earned money in these apps and suffered severe financial losses.

The FIR further states that Saad-ur-Rehman promoted several betting and gambling apps through his YouTube channel and even served as a “country manager” for one such platform. Authorities have listed 27 video links to his channel that contained promotional content.

Dikki Bhai’s bail applications were earlier rejected by the district courts and the sessions court, forcing him to seek relief from the Lahore High Court. Earlier this month, the court issued a notice to the NCCIA, seeking detailed arguments.

In a shocking twist, nine NCCIA officers themselves came under fire in late October, accused of abusing their powers and allegedly accepting bribes from Saad-ur-Rehman, fueling a public debate on corruption and transparency of investigations.