A long-awaited update to Bangladesh’s gambling act is set to be cemented as the country takes a clearer and more effective stance on tackling unlicensed gambling.
As reported by BSS News, the country’s Cabinet gave in-principle approval to draft the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026. The new act seeks to eradicate any gaps in the current framework that have enabled illicit gambling activity and targets a myriad of avenues, including gambling platforms, social media promotion and mobile financial accounts, as well as intermediaries such as agents, media buyers, and payment channels.
Under the new framework in Bangladesh, the umbrella of what is explicitly punishable is set to be extended to online betting, advertising, facilitating payments, and operating gambling-related portals.
The act allows for the authorities to utilise both fines and prison time to punish those guilty of breaching the rules, depending on the nature and severity of the offence.
A long time coming
Bangladesh’s Home Ministry has been at the forefront of pursuing the new gambling law, which will replace the current legislation that has stood for over 150 years.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, in particular, has been integral to the development of the bill, having made it a key priority to transform the previous act that was first established in 1867.
He told reporters earlier this year at the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum that the decision to push for change has been taken in recognition of the rise in popularity and availability of online betting and gaming, meaning a more digital-focused legal framework is required.
The ministry previously underpinned that a zero-tolerance approach would be taken to tackling the online gambling sector, as it formed a key part of a wider strategy to protect the youth.
Having initially launched the plans in late April, the Home Ministry has moved fast in its bid to tackle the surging online gambling sector, which Ahmed has outlined remains a top priority for the government.
Heading into July, it appears that the outdated colonial-era framework is finally set to be replaced, and a new approach is set to be tightened by the Home Ministry.
Whilst navigating the exact size of the black market is a challenge that has plagued many global regions, the urgent action now being taken underpins the significant size of the issue in Bangladesh, with large sums of money travelling through banking platforms to illegal operators.
The Gambling Prevention Act will now be reviewed by the relevant parliamentary legislative authorities before final consideration; however, no timeline has been set for this to take place.
