Is Online Betting Legal in Bangladesh?

The short answer: what the 2026 Act covers

Online betting is illegal in Bangladesh. The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 was passed by the Jatiya Sangsad on 30 June 2026 and took effect on 1 July 2026. It repealed the colonial-era Public Gambling Act, 1867.

Unlike the old law, the new Act was written with the internet in mind. It covers online and remote gambling, online betting, sports betting, virtual casinos, digital gambling platforms, match-fixing and spot-fixing. Using a site or app based outside Bangladesh does not make betting legal for someone in Bangladesh.

The Constitution of Bangladesh also directs the State to act against gambling: Article 18(2) says the State shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling.

The Act treats both traditional gambling and technology-based gambling as offences. Reports on the Act say it defines an online gambling platform broadly, covering websites, apps, software and mirror sites, and the use of VPNs and proxies to reach them.

The Daily Star reported that the law defines 24 categories of gambling-related activity and sets out 14 categories of punishment.

• Betting types covered include sports betting, live betting, exchange betting, casino betting, virtual betting, fantasy betting and e-sports betting.
• Digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and other tokens are covered when used for gambling.
• Using fake or 'ghost' SIM cards, false NID or biometric data, or fraudulent MFS accounts for gambling is a separate offence.
• Advertising, sponsorship and endorsements of gambling by media, digital platforms, influencers, artistes, athletes and celebrities are banned.
• Company directors, CEOs and managers can be held personally liable unless they prove the offence happened without their knowledge and that they took reasonable steps to prevent it.

Timeline: from the 1867 Act to the 2026 Act

Gambling has been illegal in Bangladesh for a long time. What changed in 2026 is that the law now clearly and specifically covers online betting, with much heavier penalties.

• 1867: The Public Gambling Act bans running and visiting 'common gaming houses'. It was written for physical premises and says nothing about the internet. Limited exceptions existed, such as government-approved lotteries and some horse-race betting.
• 2000s to early 2020s, the grey-area years: Offshore betting sites become widely used in Bangladesh. Because the 1867 Act targeted physical gaming houses, its application to people betting online with foreign sites was unclear, and prosecutions of individual online players were rare. This was never formal legalisation.
• October 2022: The BTRC reports blocking 331 betting sites and asking platforms to remove gambling apps and promotional links.
• May 2025: The CID launches a nationwide crackdown on online gambling under section 20 of the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, which punishes creating, operating, promoting or advertising online gambling with up to 2 years in prison, a fine of up to Tk 1 crore, or both. The CID says it has identified more than 1,000 mobile financial services (MFS) agents linked to gambling transactions.
• 2025 to 2026: Further arrests of betting syndicates. In one case reported in May 2026, the CID arrested eight people, sent 116 gambling websites to the BTRC for blocking and passed details of 879 MFS accounts to the BFIU.
• 30 June 2026: Parliament passes the Gambling Prevention Bill, 2026, moved by the Home Minister.
• 1 July 2026: The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 comes into force and the Public Gambling Act, 1867 is repealed.

Penalties under the Act

The figures below are maximum penalties as reported by UNB and The Business Standard. Courts can impose prison, a fine, or both, up to these limits. Reported figures for repeat offenders go up to double the maximum for that offence. For the exact legal wording, check the official Bangladesh Gazette text of Act No. 98 of 2026.

What it means for players

If you are in Bangladesh, placing a bet online is now a crime in its own right. You do not have to run a site or recruit other players to be prosecuted. The maximum penalty for taking part in online or remote gambling is 5 years in prison, a fine of up to Tk 1 crore, or both.

It makes no difference whether the bookmaker is licensed in another country. A foreign licence lets a company operate in that country; it does not make betting legal for a person in Bangladesh.

The Business Standard reports that offences under the Act are cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. In plain terms, police can arrest without a warrant, bail is not available as of right, and the case cannot simply be settled privately between the parties. Digital cases are heard by Cyber Tribunals, and the Act allows confiscation of bank and MFS accounts, crypto assets, servers and devices.

Using a VPN or proxy to reach a gambling site does not reduce your risk. It is a separate offence with a reported maximum of 7 years in prison, a fine of up to Tk 5 crore, or both.

Payments: bKash, Nagad, banks and crypto

Payments are central to how the law is enforced. Sending or receiving gambling-linked money through banks, MFS services such as bKash, Nagad and Rocket, digital wallets, cryptocurrency or hundi/hawala channels is covered by the Act.

Gambling offences are treated as predicate offences under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012. This means money connected to gambling can be investigated as money laundering, and banks and MFS providers are expected to monitor and report suspicious transactions to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).

Investigators have already used payment records against betting networks: the CID has reported identifying more than 1,000 MFS agents linked to gambling transactions and has passed details of hundreds of MFS accounts to the BFIU. Renting out your MFS account or agent number for gambling payments can expose you to prosecution.

Advertising and promotion

Promoting gambling is a criminal offence. The Act covers advertising, sponsorship and endorsements by media outlets, digital platforms, influencers, artistes, athletes and celebrities. The maximum penalty is 3 years in prison, a fine of up to Tk 50 lakh, or both.

This applies to social media posts, videos and paid promotions aimed at people in Bangladesh, as well as to traditional media. Before the Act, the BTRC had already been asking Facebook, YouTube and app stores to remove gambling promotions.

How the law is enforced

Responsibility is shared between the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Bangladesh Bank, the BFIU, the CID and the National Cyber Security Agency, coordinated through an inter-agency task force.

The Act provides for AI-based transaction monitoring, deep packet inspection of internet traffic, facial recognition and biometric verification, linking of NID, SIM and MFS records, and a national digital blacklist. The BTRC continues to block gambling websites and apps.

Are there any legal exceptions?

Historically, the main exceptions in Bangladesh have been government-approved lotteries and limited horse-race arrangements. According to Wikipedia's summary of the current law, recognised entities can operate lotteries under government policy. The Daily Star notes that section 30 of the Contract Act, 1872 allows contributions of Tk 500 or more towards a horse-race prize, while private betting remains unlawful.

None of these exceptions covers online sports betting or online casinos. No reported exception in the 2026 Act has been found that would allow people in Bangladesh to bet online.

How Bangladesh compares with India

India passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act in August 2025. It bans offering, advertising and processing payments for real-money online games, including online betting, fantasy sports with money stakes, poker and rummy. Offering such games carries up to 3 years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both, and advertising carries up to 2 years and up to Rs 50 lakh.

The key difference is how players are treated. India's law targets operators, advertisers and payment providers and does not set out penalties for individual players. Bangladesh's 2026 Act goes further and makes taking part in online gambling a criminal offence for the player too.

Getting help with gambling problems

Gambling can lead to debt, family problems and serious mental health harm. If betting is affecting you or someone close to you, please talk to someone you trust and seek professional help. A doctor or a mental health professional at a public hospital can help, and the National Institute of Mental Health in Dhaka treats addiction-related conditions.

Commentators, including in the Dhaka Law Review, have noted that the new Act focuses on punishment and does not set up dedicated helplines or treatment programmes, so support currently has to come from the general health system. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call the national emergency number 999.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and how they are enforced can change. If you are facing a gambling-related investigation or charge, speak to a qualified lawyer in Bangladesh.