Bangladesh is preparing its biggest gambling law overhaul in more than 150 years as authorities move to tighten control over the country’s rapidly expanding online betting market.
According to local media reports, the government is set to replace the colonial-era Public Gambling Act of 1867 with a new law specifically designed to address modern gambling, betting and online activity. Officials say the draft legislation is now in its final stages and is expected to be presented during the next parliamentary session.
Bangladesh’s state-owned news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, reported that Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed warned that the rapid rise in online gambling is now a serious concern for the government, particularly given its growing popularity among the youth.
Existing laws ‘not capable’
Authorities believe the existing gambling framework is no longer capable of handling digital betting platforms that have spread rapidly across the country in recent years. While Bangladesh has long prohibited most forms of traditional gambling, the old law was written decades before online gambling even existed, creating a legal grey area around offshore betting websites and digital wagering platforms.
Officials now want a clearer and more modern framework that directly targets online gambling operations. The government is also preparing a coordinated nationwide enforcement drive alongside the proposed legislation. Multiple law enforcement agencies are expected to take part in the crackdown, targeting both physical gambling operations and online betting networks.
The Home Ministry has reportedly described the upcoming approach as “zero tolerance”. The issue recently gained fresh political attention after concerns were raised in parliament over the growing spread of gambling activity among young people. Officials also warned that gambling syndicates are increasingly being linked to other forms of organised crime, including drug-related networks and illegal financial activity.
Cybersecurity laws in effect
To strengthen enforcement powers, Bangladesh earlier introduced the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, which imposes direct penalties for online gambling-related offences. Under the law, individuals caught operating or promoting illegal gambling platforms can face up to two years in prison along with heavy financial penalties.
Despite those measures, authorities now believe enforcement efforts have not gone far enough to slow the sector’s expansion. A major focus of the upcoming crackdown is expected to centre on financial networks supporting illegal gambling transactions. Earlier investigations conducted by Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department reportedly identified more than 1,000 suspected agents involved in facilitating gambling-related payments and money transfers.
The findings were later shared with the Bangladesh Bank, which has since been working with financial institutions to monitor suspicious transactions and block gambling-linked financial activity.
Officials say online gambling has grown rapidly due to easy smartphone access, digital payment systems and the increasing popularity of offshore betting platforms operating outside Bangladesh’s regulatory reach.
Authorities now want tighter control over the sector before online betting grows even further across the country. If passed, the new legislation would become one of Bangladesh’s biggest gambling policy changes in decades, as governments across South Asia continue grappling with the rapid rise of online betting platforms and concerns around youth exposure, financial crime and digital safety.
Asia’s undisputed regional heavyweight lands in Manila, 31 May to 03 June 2026. Backed by PAGCOR and powered by 16,000 delegates, SiGMA Asia delivers two levels of game-shaping influence. If you’re serious about the region, this is the room for you.
