Bangladesh’s Gambling Sphere: Preparations for the Legislative Overhaul

The main objective is to close legal gaps that allow online and mobile betting and offshore platforms to operate freely within the country. Salahuddin Ahmed, the Minister of Home Affairs, announced that the new bill is nearing completion.

Market Demand: Colonial-Era Statute Is Obsolete

The need for reform arises from the shortcomings of the existing legislation. For more than 150 years, gambling oversight in the state was based on outdated laws established before the rise of the Internet, digital communications, and modern financial tools.

The current regulations mainly focus on land-based venues and use obsolete terms like "common gaming houses." Consequently, enforcement agencies struggle to control players who visit offshore portals.

The swift upturn of digital casinos, bookmakers, and microbetting introduces multiple risks:

• escalating cybersecurity threats;
• increasing pressure on the economy;
• complication of financial flow oversight;
• youth engagement in illicit betting activities.

Therefore, updating regulations to reflect today’s realities is a top priority for the government, and progress on this front has already begun.

Improving Control Over Digital Channels

The new law is anticipated to furnish authorities with supplementary instruments to address shadow iGaming activities.

According to officials, the bill is intended to ensure:

• expanding the capacity to filter web resources;
• the blocking of payment methods linked to illegal operators;
• establishing a centralised system for regulating online gambling;
• augmenting the efficacy of enforcement measures against foreign platforms.

In this way, the government aims to restrict the activities of offshore brands operating outside the country’s legislation. Bangladesh’s strategic approach aligns with a broader regional trend in South Asia, where iGaming regulation is accompanied by improved oversight of financial transactions, digital infrastructure, and online services.

Strengthening Efforts to Tackle Illegal Segments

The new initiative will expand on existing measures. The authorities have previously introduced substantial penalties pursuant to Section 20 of the Cyber Security Ordinance, which criminalised the promotion and operation of online gambling apps. The maximum punishment is a 2-year prison sentence or a fine of 1 crore taka (approximately $81,800).

The enactment of the new bill is expected to clarify uncertainties in enforcement procedures. Legislators intend to resolve prolonged debates regarding the difference between games of skill and chance, which have long been subject to complicated regulation.

Concurrently, the authorities are enhancing their tech capabilities. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has already expanded its digital monitoring infrastructure and is actively shutting down thousands of URLs, mirror websites, and proxy channels associated with unlawful gambling.

Several governmental agencies are involved in preparations for the new regulation:

1. BTRC — tasked with monitoring and blocking digital resources.
2. The Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs — participates in developing the legislative framework.
3. Telecommunications corporations — assist in detecting suspicious activities.
4. MFS suppliers — enable control over financial transactions related to illegal betting schemes.

These bodies plan to develop cross-departmental enforcement directives to ensure immediate nationwide implementation of the new regulations after the president’s signature.