Bangladesh's New Law Targets Online Gambling and Sports Betting

New gambling law came into force on July 1

The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 came into force on July 1 after receiving presidential assent and being published in the official gazette. The legislation introduces legal definitions for online gambling, sports betting, virtual casinos, VPN-enabled gambling, cryptocurrency-based gambling transactions and match-fixing, reflecting the growing use of digital platforms for betting.

Under the new law, operating online gambling or betting platforms is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to Tk 5 crore. Individuals found guilty of online gambling face up to five years' imprisonment or fines of up to Tk 1 crore.

Organised gambling involving money laundering through fake SIM cards, fraudulent mobile financial service (MFS) accounts or cryptocurrency carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a Tk 5 crore fine.

The law also criminalises gambling advertisements, sponsorships and affiliate marketing. Media organisations, digital platforms, influencers, artists and athletes found promoting gambling could face up to three years' imprisonment, a Tk 50 lakh fine, or both.

Match-fixing is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a Tk1 crore fine, while spot-fixing carries a maximum sentence of five years and a Tk50 lakh fine. Courts may also ban convicted individuals from participating in the relevant sport.

Authorities have been granted powers to freeze and confiscate bank accounts, mobile financial service accounts, digital wallets, cryptocurrency assets, servers, domains and other property linked to gambling operations.

The law classifies gambling proceeds laundered through banks, mobile financial services, digital wallets, hawala, hundi or cryptocurrency as predicate offences under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, allowing offenders to face additional prosecution.

All offences under the act are cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, with cyber-related cases to be heard by Cyber Tribunals.

The government has also authorised the use of technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), deep packet inspection (DPI), transaction monitoring systems and data analytics to detect and prevent online gambling.

Implementation of the law involves multiple agencies

Implementation of the law will involve multiple agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the National Cyber Security Agency.

The legislation also provides for an inter-agency task force, international cooperation, public awareness campaigns and the publication of annual reports on gambling-related offences.