Bangladesh has enacted a new gambling law that criminalizes online gambling, sports betting and digital gambling networks, with organized gambling and money laundering-related offenses punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to BSS News, the country’s official state news agency.
The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, came into effect on July 1st after publication in the official gazette and replaces the colonial-era Public Gambling Act, 1867. The highest penalty under the law is a fine of up to BDT50 million ($405,500), including for organized gambling or money laundering through fake SIMs, fraudulent mobile financial service accounts or cryptocurrency.
Operating online gambling or betting platforms carries penalties of up to seven years in prison and a BDT50 million ($405,500) fine. Online gambling offences are punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment or a BDT10 million ($81,100) fine.
The law also imposes a maximum sentence of seven years and a BDT50 million ($405,500) fine for running online betting operations, acting as a bookmaker, using VPNs or mirror sites to facilitate gambling, or operating gambling networks through digital infrastructure.
Conventional gambling offences carry lighter penalties, with up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to BDT200,000 ($1,622), or both.
Match-fixing is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a BDT10 million ($81,100) fine, while spot-fixing carries a maximum sentence of five years and a BDT5 million ($40,550) fine. Courts may also disqualify convicted persons temporarily or permanently from participating in the relevant sport or competition.
Media outlets, digital platforms, influencers, artists, athletes and others involved in gambling promotion through advertisements, sponsorships, affiliate marketing or referral campaigns may face up to three years in prison, a BDT5 million ($40,550) fine, or both.
The law treats the transfer, concealment or legitimization of gambling proceeds through banks, mobile financial service accounts, digital wallets, hawala, hundi or cryptocurrency as a predicate offence under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, allowing offenders to also be prosecuted under that legislation.
All offences under the act are cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, with cyber-related cases to be tried in Cyber Tribunals.
The law authorizes authorities to freeze and confiscate bank accounts, mobile financial service accounts, digital wallets, crypto assets, servers, domains, SIM cards, mobile phones, computers and other assets linked to gambling operations.
It also allows the government to use artificial intelligence, deep packet inspection, transaction monitoring systems and data analytics to detect and prevent online gambling, alongside a national digital blacklist database, biometric verification and facial recognition-based verification.
Implementation responsibilities have been assigned to multiple agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department. The law also provides for an inter-agency task force, international cooperation, research, annual reports and public awareness campaigns.
