Bangladesh's Parliament on July 1, 2026, unanimously passed the Gambling Prevention Bill, a comprehensive statute that repeals the colonial-era Public Gambling Act of 1867 and introduces penalties of up to seven years' imprisonment for online betting.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed moved the bill, following recommendations from the parliamentary standing committee on the law ministry. The legislature found the 159-year-old Public Gambling Act inadequate to address technology-driven gambling offences and related crimes.

Penalties under the new law

The statute creates a tiered sentencing structure. Anyone directly or indirectly involved in gambling faces up to two years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of Tk 200,000, or both.

Offences involving online or remote gambling carry a maximum of five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk one crore, or both. Participation in online betting is punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of Tk five crore, or both.

The law defines 24 categories of gambling-related activities, including gambling, gambling venues, gambling materials, digital assets, digital gambling platforms, digital wallets, totalisators, online and remote gambling, betting, bookmaking, match fixing and spot fixing. It prescribes 14 categories of punishment according to the nature of the offence.

The statutory definition of gambling covers participation in housy, bingo, lottery, bullet, dice, poker, card games or similar games for money or anything of value, as well as investing or collecting money, property or any other valuable item for the purpose of gambling.

The definition of a gambling venue is notably broad. It covers any house, room, club, office, call centre, cyber café, vehicle, vessel, aircraft, server room, data centre, digital platform, website, mobile application, social media group or channel, or any other physical or virtual place used for gambling.

Gambling equipment is defined to include table games, cards, coins, dice, totalisers, computers, mobile devices, servers, software, websites, databases, digital wallets, electronic records, crypto wallets, call centre equipment, or any other equipment, records or materials used in gambling, online gambling, betting or online betting.

Search and seizure powers draw objections

The bill's enforcement provisions provoked the sharpest debate. National Citizen Party (NCP) MP Akhter Hossen supported the bill's objective but warned of possible misuse. He objected to granting police powers to conduct searches and seizures and to block websites or mobile applications without court approval, saying such provisions could infringe on citizens' rights and potentially be used to suppress critical media.

Jamaat MP Nazibur Rahman also cautioned against giving police "unconditional" seizing powers, saying the provisions could conflict with the Code of Criminal Procedure. He proposed requiring magistrate approval after seizures to guard against abuse.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed defended the provisions. Requiring prior court approval, he said, could allow evidence or gambling websites to be removed quickly, undermining law enforcement efforts. He added that police already exercise similar powers under other laws.

Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam said the opposition supported the legislation and commended the government for bringing it. He expressed regret, however, that the opposition's proposed amendments had not been accepted, and urged vigilance to ensure the law is not misused and that citizens' and human rights remain protected.

Policy rationale

Presenting the bill in parliament the previous week, Salahuddin said online betting platforms, virtual private networks (VPNs), social media, fake mobile financial service accounts, biometric fraud and digital payment systems were increasingly being used for gambling, money laundering and fraud. These, he said, posed serious threats to Bangladesh's social order, economic stability, public safety and young people.

He said the rapid technological expansion of gambling had made it necessary to enact a comprehensive and updated law to maintain public order, reduce crime, prevent financial, social and psychological harm, and safeguard the country's moral and economic balance.

Related amendment to the Cyber Security Act

In a related move, Parliament passed the Cyber Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by voice vote. The amendment, placed by Post, Telecommunications and ICT Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam, repeals Section 20 of the Cyber Security Act, which prescribed punishment for gambling in cyberspace. Law Minister Md Asaduzzman said the amendment was necessary because a comprehensive gambling prevention law had already been enacted.

Consequences for practitioners

The new statute significantly expands criminal exposure for operators, facilitators and participants across both physical and digital environments. The sweeping definitions of gambling venues and equipment capture servers, websites, apps, social media groups, digital wallets and crypto wallets, which brings fintech, telecom and platform operators within the enforcement perimeter. Practitioners advising digital payment providers, VPN services and social media companies in Bangladesh should note the absence of a prior judicial authorisation requirement for searches, seizures and website blocking, together with fines reaching Tk five crore, when assessing compliance and criminal risk for clients.