Is gambling legal in Bangladesh?

No. The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 makes any direct or indirect involvement in gambling an offence, with up to two years or a fine of up to Tk 2 lakh, and there is no licensing regime. Article 18(2) of the Constitution directs the State to prevent gambling.

Is online betting legal, and can offshore sites take Bangladeshi players?

No. Online betting, including sports, casino, fantasy and e-sports betting, carries up to seven years or a fine of up to Tk 5 crore, and online gambling up to five years or Tk 1 crore. Opening or using an online gambling account is itself covered, so players are liable. BTRC can block offshore sites, apps and mirror sites.

What replaced the Public Gambling Act, 1867?

The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026), passed by parliament on 30 June 2026 and in force from 1 July 2026. On the same day s. 20 of the Cyber Security Act, 2026, which had covered online gambling since the 2025 ordinance, was deleted.

Can gambling brands advertise or sponsor in Bangladesh?

No. Gambling advertising, sponsorship, affiliate marketing and referral campaigns are offences for the brand, media outlet, platform, influencer, player or celebrity involved, with up to three years or a fine of up to Tk 50 lakh. Since October 2025 the government has told media and ad agencies to block gambling ads and threatened to block sites that carry them.

How are gambling payments policed?

Courts may order bank, MFS, wallet and payment gateway accounts used for gambling to be closed, and handling gambling money is a money laundering predicate offence. Bangladesh Bank told MFS providers in May 2025 to monitor for gambling, and the BFIU had frozen about 55,000 MFS accounts by June 2026.

Who enforces gambling law in Bangladesh?

There is no gambling regulator. The Ministry of Home Affairs leads, the police and CID investigate, BTRC blocks websites and apps, Bangladesh Bank and the BFIU handle payments, and online offences are tried by the Cyber Tribunal.

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Sovereign state

Asia

ISO BD

Bangladesh: gambling regulation and licensing

Online sports bettingProhibited
Online casinoProhibited
Online pokerProhibited
Lottery and iLotteryProhibited
Horse race bettingProhibited
Land-based (reference)Prohibited

Regulator: Not yet verified
Headline tax: See Taxation
Licence required: No
Last verified: 23 Sept 2026

Summary

Bangladesh prohibits gambling in every form, online and offline, and has no gambling regulator, licence or gaming tax. Article 18(2) of the Constitution directs the State to prevent gambling. The governing law is the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026), which took effect on 1 July 2026 and repealed the colonial Public Gambling Act, 1867. It treats any direct or indirect involvement in gambling as a crime, so players are liable as well as operators, and it names sports, live, exchange, casino, virtual, fantasy and e-sports betting, poker and lottery. Penalties run from two years or Tk 2 lakh for gambling to seven years or Tk 5 crore for online betting, bookmaking or using VPNs and mirror sites, with up to ten years for organised fake SIM or MFS account fraud, and all offences are non-bailable. Advertising, sponsorship, affiliate and referral marketing are offences for influencers, players and media alike. Online gambling had first been made an express offence by the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025; that provision was deleted from the Cyber Security Act, 2026 when the new Act took over. There is no single regulator: the Ministry of Home Affairs leads, BTRC blocks sites and apps, and Bangladesh Bank and the BFIU police payments, having frozen about 55,000 mobile financial service accounts by June 2026. The CID has since raided online betting syndicates. The 1867 exemptions for skill games and on-course horse betting are gone. Still to come are rules for a national blacklist database and linked NID, SIM and MFS checks.

Common pitfalls

Citing the Public Gambling Act, 1867: it was repealed on 1 July 2026, and with it the exemptions for games of mere skill and on-course horse betting. Citing s. 20 of the Cyber Security Act, 2026 as the online gambling offence: it was deleted on 1 July 2026 and the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 now governs. Treating players as safe: involvement in gambling in any form is an offence and all offences are non-bailable. Reading the Penal Code lottery exemption as a general licence: it only lifts the lottery-office offence for State or Government-authorised lotteries.

Key facts

Regulator: Not yet verified
Regulator type: No dedicated regulator
Headline tax: See Taxation
Licence required: No
Minimum age: Not yet verified
Tax base: There is no gaming tax because no form of gambling may lawfully be offered (Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, ss. 4 to 9). Money and assets used in or derived from gambling are forfeited to the State on a court order (s. 29). The tax treatment of any Government-authorised lottery was not checked.

How to get a gambling licence in Bangladesh

Online casino and online sports betting are prohibited in Bangladesh, so no licence currently permits offering them. The licensing regime as recorded is set out below.

Our record shows no gambling licence requirement in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has no dedicated gambling regulator.

Applications: Closed at present

Built from the record on this page, last verified 23 Sept 2026. The Licensing and Taxation sections carry the full detail and sources.

Legal framework

Primary statutes

Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Article 18(2)
Year
1972
In force
Yes
Summary
A fundamental principle of state policy: the State shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling. The preamble of the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 cites it.
Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026)
জুয়া প্রতিরোধ আইন, ২০২৬
Year
2026
In force
Yes
Summary
In force immediately on 1 July 2026; repeals the Public Gambling Act, 1867 and overrides other laws (s. 3). Defines gambling as all betting or wagering and games such as housie, bingo, lottery, roulette, dice, poker and card games for money, and defines online gambling and online betting (sports, live, exchange, casino, virtual, fantasy and e-sports). Offences cover involvement in gambling (up to 2 years or Tk 2 lakh), online gambling (up to 5 years or Tk 1 crore), online betting and bookmaking (up to 7 years or Tk 5 crore), gambling places (up to 5 years or Tk 4 lakh), gambling materials (up to 3 years or Tk 10 lakh), match-fixing (up to 7 years or Tk 1 crore) and spot-fixing (up to 5 years or Tk 50 lakh), advertising, sponsorship and affiliate marketing (up to 3 years or Tk 50 lakh), use of VPNs, proxies or mirror sites (up to 7 years or Tk 5 crore), and fake SIM or MFS accounts (up to 7 years, or 10 years if organised). Handling gambling money is punished as a predicate offence under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 (s. 25). Offences are cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable (s. 34); online offences go to the Cyber Tribunal (s. 32).
The Penal Code, 1860 (Act No. XLV of 1860), sections 294A and 294B
Year
1860
In force
Yes
Summary
Section 294A: keeping an office or place for drawing a lottery that is not a State lottery or a lottery authorised by the Government, up to six months or a fine or both; publishing proposals tied to such a lottery draw, a fine of up to Tk 1,000. Section 294B: offering prizes against a coupon, ticket or number to promote trade or a product, up to six months or a fine or both.
Cyber Security Act, 2026 (Act No. 81 of 2026)
সাইবার সুরক্ষা আইন, ২০২৬
Year
2026
In force
Yes
Summary
Re-enacted the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 on 10 April 2026, including its s. 20 offence of online gambling. Section 20 was deleted by the Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026 from 1 July 2026, leaving online gambling to the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026. The explanation to s. 21 (cyber fraud) still lists operating a gambling portal, and s. 8 lets the National Cyber Security Agency and law enforcement have BTRC remove or block content, with the Cyber Tribunal's permission within three days.

Secondary instruments

Public Gambling Act, 1867 (Act No. II of 1867)
Year
1867
In force
No
Summary
Repealed by the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, s. 49, with savings for pending cases. It punished keeping a common gaming-house (fine up to Tk 200 or three months) and being found gaming there (Tk 100 or one month), exempted games of mere skill (s. 11A) and on-course horse-race betting with a licensed bookmaker or totalisator (s. 1A), and did not extend to metropolitan areas.
Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 (Ordinance No. 25 of 2025)
সাইবার সুরক্ষা অধ্যাদেশ, ২০২৫
Year
2025
In force
No
Summary
Made by the interim government on 21 May 2025. Section 20 made it an offence to create or operate a gambling portal, app or device in cyberspace, to take part in online gambling, to assist or encourage it, or to advertise or promote it, with up to two years or a fine of up to Tk 1 crore. Repealed by the Cyber Security Act, 2026.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, 1976, sections 92 and 93
Year
1976
In force
Yes
Summary
Assembling in a street or public place to gamble or wager: a fine of up to Tk 100. A keeper of a place of public amusement who knowingly permits gaming: a fine of up to Tk 200. These provisions covered Dhaka while the 1867 Act excluded metropolitan areas.

Key amendments

21 May 2025Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 makes online gambling and its promotion an express offence (s. 20).
10 Apr 2026Cyber Security Act, 2026 replaces the ordinance and keeps the online gambling offence in s. 20.
1 Jul 2026Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 takes effect and repeals the Public Gambling Act, 1867; the Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026 deletes s. 20 of the Cyber Security Act the same day.

Pending legislation

Rules under the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, including the national digital blacklist database
Stage
Rule-making power in s. 48; no rules were listed with the Act on the Laws of Bangladesh portal at review
What it changes
The government may by rules set up a national digital blacklist of offenders, NIDs, SIMs, MFS and bank accounts, wallets, devices, domains, IP addresses, websites and apps (s. 40), and may introduce NID, SIM and MFS linking with biometric and facial recognition checks (s. 41), an inter-agency task force (s. 42) and AI-based and deep packet inspection monitoring (s. 44).
Authentic English text of the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026
Stage
Permitted by s. 50; not published on the Laws of Bangladesh portal at review
What it changes
The government may publish an authentic English translation by gazette notification; the Bangla text prevails in any conflict.

Case law

Public interest writ petition on celebrity promotion of online gambling (High Court Division)
27 Apr 2025
A High Court bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi directed the government to form a seven-member committee, including the Home, Cultural Affairs and ICT secretaries, the Inspector General of Police and the BTRC chairman, to take measures against the advertisement and promotion of online gambling and betting sites through celebrities, report within 90 days, and issued a rule on why the authorities' inaction should not be declared illegal. The order itself was not read; this is from a press report.

Licensing

Licence required: No
Application window: Closed
Local establishment required: Not yet verified
Local server required: Not yet verified
Barriers to entry: There is nothing to apply for. The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 makes any direct or indirect involvement in gambling, online gambling or online betting an offence, with no licensing provision and no exemption, and it overrides other laws (ss. 3 to 9). Directors and managers of a company or platform that commits an offence are deemed liable unless they prove it happened without their knowledge despite due diligence, and a court may suspend or cancel the company's registration or licence (s. 26). The only surviving carve-out found is the Penal Code s. 294A exemption for a State or Government-authorised lottery from the lottery-office offence.

Taxation

Headline GGR tax: Not yet verified
Effective date: Not yet verified
Tax base: There is no gaming tax because no form of gambling may lawfully be offered (Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, ss. 4 to 9). Money and assets used in or derived from gambling are forfeited to the State on a court order (s. 29). The tax treatment of any Government-authorised lottery was not checked.

Compliance

Minimum age: Not yet verified
National self-exclusion: Not yet verified
AML regime: Using banks, MFS, digital wallets, hawala, hundi or any other financial channel to move, conceal or legitimise gambling money, or converting it into cryptocurrency or other digital assets, is punished as a predicate offence under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 (Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, ss. 14 and 25). Bangladesh Bank and the BFIU are charged with gambling-related financial intelligence (s. 43(d)).
AML supervisor: Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Bangladesh Bank
Central monitoring system: The government may deploy AI monitoring, deep packet inspection, risk scoring and transaction monitoring to detect online gambling and betting (s. 44), and may link NID, SIM and MFS records with biometric verification (s. 41).
KYC requirements: Not yet verified
Stake limits: Not yet verified

Advertising

Advertising permitted: No
Affiliate rules: Affiliate marketing and referral campaigns for gambling are offences (Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, s. 11); abetment, financing or technical support carries the penalty for the main offence (s. 27).
Sponsorship rules: Gambling sponsorship is an offence under s. 11 of the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 for the sponsor and for the media outlet, platform, player or celebrity involved.
Celebrity and influencer rules: Influencers, artists, players and celebrities are named in s. 11 of the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 and face up to three years or a fine of up to Tk 50 lakh (s. 22). In April 2025 the High Court directed the government to form a committee on celebrity promotion of gambling sites.
Social media rules: Running gambling or betting groups, pages or channels on social media is itself online gambling (s. 2(2)(b)), and the government or its designated authority may block such pages, groups and channels (s. 38).
Penalties for breach: Up to three years, or a fine of up to Tk 50 lakh (Tk 5 million), or both (Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, s. 22); double for a repeat offence (s. 28). A company may be fined and have its registration or licence suspended or cancelled (s. 26).

Restrictions

Any person, organisation, media outlet, digital platform, influencer, artist, player or celebrity who carries out misleading promotion, promises of false gains, enticing advertising, sponsorship, affiliate marketing or referral campaigns for gambling commits an offence (Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, s. 11)
Newspapers, online portals, media outlets and digital advertising agencies were barred in October 2025 from carrying gambling or betting advertisements, including through Google AdSense and other ad networks, and told to configure ad settings to block gambling pop-ups (government directive reported by BSS)
From 19 October 2025 the government said any newspaper, website, portal or electronic media outlet promoting gambling or betting would be blocked without prior notice
Publishing proposals tied to the draw of an unauthorised lottery is an offence with a fine of up to Tk 1,000 (Penal Code s. 294A)

Payments

Credit card ban: Not yet verified
Crypto stance: Not yet verified
Payment blocking regime: A court may order any bank account, MFS account, payment gateway, digital or crypto wallet used for gambling to be closed (Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, s. 39), and an investigating officer may freeze an accused's accounts with the court's permission (s. 31(2)). Bangladesh Bank directed all MFS providers on 28 May 2025 to monitor merchants and customers continuously for online gambling, act immediately and inform law enforcement; the government said about 5,000 MFS accounts had been closed by November 2025, and the Finance Minister told parliament in June 2026 that the BFIU had suspended or frozen about 55,000 MFS accounts linked to online gambling and digital hundi.
Currency restrictions: Converting gambling money into cryptocurrency, virtual or digital assets, or moving it through hawala or hundi, is an offence punished as a money laundering predicate (ss. 14 and 25).

Enforcement

ISP blocking: Yes
DNS blocking: Not yet verified
Payment blocking: Yes
App store takedowns: Not yet verified
Administrative penalties: A court or empowered authority may seal or close a gambling place temporarily or permanently (s. 37); offences may be tried by mobile court once added to the schedule of the Mobile Court Act, 2009 (s. 33).
Criminal penalties: Gambling Prevention Act, 2026: gambling up to 2 years or Tk 2 lakh; online gambling up to 5 years or Tk 1 crore; online betting, bookmaking and gambling via VPN, proxy or mirror sites up to 7 years or Tk 5 crore; gambling places up to 5 years or Tk 4 lakh; gambling materials up to 3 years or Tk 10 lakh; match-fixing up to 7 years or Tk 1 crore; spot-fixing up to 5 years or Tk 50 lakh; advertising and sponsorship up to 3 years or Tk 50 lakh; fake SIM or MFS accounts up to 7 years or Tk 50 lakh, rising to 10 years or Tk 5 crore if organised or for laundering. Repeat offences carry up to double the maximum (s. 28). All offences are cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable (s. 34).
Operator liability: Operators, bookmakers, hosting providers, payment gateways and digital platforms are liable, and their directors, executives and managers are deemed to have committed the offence unless they prove lack of knowledge and due diligence (ss. 9, 12 and 26). Servers, domains, accounts and devices may be forfeited (s. 29).
Player liability: Players are liable: any direct or indirect involvement in gambling is an offence (s. 4), and opening or using an online gambling account or depositing money for it is online gambling (s. 2(2)).

Notable actions

Media outlets, advertising agencies and platforms carrying gambling ads16 Oct 2025
Government directive barring gambling and betting advertisements, including through ad networks, with CID, BTRC, NCSA, NTMC, NSI and BFIU enforcing; from 19 October 2025 offending sites were to be blocked without notice
MFS accounts used for online gambling4 Nov 2025
The Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Posts, Telecommunications and ICT said about 5,000 MFS accounts had been closed and BTRC had begun writing to platforms to curb online gambling
MFS accounts linked to online gambling and digital hundi24 Jun 2026
Finance Minister told parliament the BFIU had suspended or frozen about 55,000 accounts and sent an intelligence report to CID in May 2026, which had filed a case
Online betting syndicate in Narsingdi12 Aug 2026
CID Cyber Police Centre arrested five people accused of running betting platforms on cricket and football, taking deposits through bKash, Nagad, Rocket, Upay, bank accounts and cryptocurrency; nine phones and 20 SIM cards seized
Administrator of a betting site controlled from Russia and an associate19 Aug 2026
CID arrested two men in Rajshahi and Jhenaidah accused of recruiting agents and routing deposits and withdrawals through MFS, bank and crypto accounts

Timeline

10 Apr 1867
Public Gambling Act, 1867 enacted for common gaming-houses, later excluding metropolitan areas
27 Apr 2025
High Court directs the government to form a committee on celebrity promotion of online gambling sites
21 May 2025
Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 makes online gambling and its promotion an express offence
28 May 2025
Bangladesh Bank directs all MFS providers to monitor for and act against online gambling
16 Oct 2025
Government declares zero tolerance for gambling advertising and bars media and ad agencies from carrying it
10 Apr 2026
Cyber Security Act, 2026 replaces the ordinance, keeping the online gambling offence
30 Jun 2026
Parliament passes the Gambling Prevention Bill, 2026 by voice vote
1 Jul 2026
Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 takes effect and repeals the 1867 Act; online gambling offence deleted from the Cyber Security Act
12 Aug 2026
CID arrests five members of an online betting syndicate in Narsingdi

Outlook

The Act gives the government power to make rules for a national digital blacklist database, NID, SIM and MFS linking, an inter-agency task force and AI-based traffic and transaction monitoring; none had been published on the national law portal at review. An authentic English text may also be gazetted. Expect enforcement to continue through CID raids on betting syndicates, BTRC blocking and BFIU account freezes, with the first prosecutions under the 2026 Act showing how the Cyber Tribunal applies its penalties. The High Court rule on celebrity promotion of gambling sites, issued in April 2025, remains a point to watch.

Frequently asked questions

Is gambling legal in Bangladesh?: No. The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 makes any direct or indirect involvement in gambling an offence, with up to two years or a fine of up to Tk 2 lakh, and there is no licensing regime. Article 18(2) of the Constitution directs the State to prevent gambling.
Is online betting legal, and can offshore sites take Bangladeshi players?: No. Online betting, including sports, casino, fantasy and e-sports betting, carries up to seven years or a fine of up to Tk 5 crore, and online gambling up to five years or Tk 1 crore. Opening or using an online gambling account is itself covered, so players are liable. BTRC can block offshore sites, apps and mirror sites.
What replaced the Public Gambling Act, 1867?: The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026), passed by parliament on 30 June 2026 and in force from 1 July 2026. On the same day s. 20 of the Cyber Security Act, 2026, which had covered online gambling since the 2025 ordinance, was deleted.
Can gambling brands advertise or sponsor in Bangladesh?: No. Gambling advertising, sponsorship, affiliate marketing and referral campaigns are offences for the brand, media outlet, platform, influencer, player or celebrity involved, with up to three years or a fine of up to Tk 50 lakh. Since October 2025 the government has told media and ad agencies to block gambling ads and threatened to block sites that carry them.
How are gambling payments policed?: Courts may order bank, MFS, wallet and payment gateway accounts used for gambling to be closed, and handling gambling money is a money laundering predicate offence. Bangladesh Bank told MFS providers in May 2025 to monitor for gambling, and the BFIU had frozen about 55,000 MFS accounts by June 2026.
Who enforces gambling law in Bangladesh?: There is no gambling regulator. The Ministry of Home Affairs leads, the police and CID investigate, BTRC blocks websites and apps, Bangladesh Bank and the BFIU handle payments, and online offences are tried by the Cyber Tribunal.
Who regulates gambling in Bangladesh?: Bangladesh has no dedicated gambling regulator.

Glossary and directory

Glossary terms for this profile

iGT coverage of Bangladesh

Cricket Legend Wasim Akram Implicated in Pakistan's Widening Betting Promotion Probe

Sports Betting

14 Oct 2026

Kevin Pietersen Reportedly Tells ECB He Will Not Promote Dafabet on England Duty

England's white-ball mentor signed as a Dafabet brand ambassador this week and has told the England and Wales Cricket Board he will not promote betting while on duty, The Guardian reports. The precedent says the deal itself is allowed; the harder questions sit with the advertising rules and with Dafabet's own cricket sponsorships.

Regulatory

13 Oct 2026

US Keeps Cambodia on Tier 3, Alleging Officials Profited From Scam Centres

The State Department's 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report says senior Cambodian officials benefited from and protected scam compounds, that no scam centre trafficker was prosecuted, and that casinos with a documented history of hosting scam centres were licensed in January. It lands as Cambodia sends inspectors into casinos to enforce its online gambling ban.

Sources

Source tiers. Tier 1: the law, official gazette, licence register or regulator itself. Tier 2: other official sources such as ministries, parliaments, courts and statistics agencies. Tier 3: established trade press, used to find and date the primary source. Only tier 1 and tier 2 sources can support a fact on their own.

Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026, 1 July 2026)
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh) (translated)
The portal text prints section 19 twice with identical wording. Section 50 provides for an authentic English text; none had been published on the portal at review, so the English renderings in this record are our own translation of the Bangla text, which prevails.
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 1 Jul 2026
The Public Gambling Act, 1867 (Act No. II of 1867), marked repealed by the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 (Ordinance No. 25 of 2025, 21 May 2025), marked repealed by the Cyber Security Act, 2026
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh) (translated)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 21 May 2025
Cyber Security Act, 2026 (Act No. 81 of 2026, 10 April 2026), consolidated text
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh) (translated)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 10 Apr 2026
Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act No. 99 of 2026, 1 July 2026)
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh) (translated)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 1 Jul 2026
Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Article 18(2)
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
The Penal Code, 1860 (Act No. XLV of 1860), sections 294A and 294B
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, 1976 (Ordinance No. III of 1976), sections 92 and 93
Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (Laws of Bangladesh)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
JS passes Gambling Prevention Bill, 2026
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS, state news agency)
The report says detailed penalties would be finalised during the legislative review process; the enacted text on the Laws of Bangladesh portal sets them out in full, and that text is followed here.
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 30 Jun 2026
Online gambling a criminal offense under Cyber Security Act: Finance Minister
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS, state news agency)
A week later section 20 of the Cyber Security Act, 2026, which the minister described, was deleted by the Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026 when the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 took effect.
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 24 Jun 2026
Govt declares zero tolerance for online gambling, pornography, unethical ads (report of a PID release of 16 October 2025)
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS, state news agency)
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 16 Oct 2025
Govt to block sites for gambling ads without notice from tomorrow
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS, state news agency)
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 18 Oct 2025
Accounts involved in gambling to be blocked based on fairness, compliance: Taiyeb
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS, state news agency)
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 4 Nov 2025
CID arrests five members of an online gambling ring in Narsingdi
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS, state news agency)
The report says the case was filed under sections 20(2), 21(2), 24(2) and 27(2) of the Cyber Security Act 2026, although section 20 of that Act had been deleted with effect from 1 July 2026 by Act No. 99 of 2026.
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 13 Aug 2026
Online gambling site admin, associate held
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS, state news agency)
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 20 Aug 2026
HC directs govt to form committee to ban online gambling ads
The Business Standard (Dhaka)
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 Apr 2025