Bangladesh Advances Draft Gambling Law to Replace 1867 Statute

DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladesh has approved a draft gambling prevention bill to replace a statute dating back to 1867.

The proposal would give authorities a wider legal framework for online gambling, remote betting, digital wallets, bookmakers, match-fixing and related activity. It marks a major update to a system built around traditional gambling offences, long before digital platforms and mobile payments changed how illegal betting operates.

The Cabinet gave in-principle approval to the draft Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, during a June 18 meeting. The bill is intended to modernize the Public Gambling Act, 1867, which already prohibits most forms of traditional gambling in Bangladesh.

Draft Law Targets Digital Gambling Growth

The proposed law was prepared in response to the spread of online and offline gambling through modern technology. Bangladesh has strict gambling controls, but officials now face products that can operate through offshore websites, mobile devices, digital wallets and remote betting networks.

The draft bill includes definitions for gambling, gambling premises, gambling equipment, digital assets, digital gambling platforms, digital wallets, totalisators, online gambling, remote gambling, betting, bookmakers, match-fixing and spot-fixing. That wider scope is central to the proposal, as it would move the country’s gambling law beyond the land-based framework created under colonial-era legislation.

The bill also refers to public order, criminal activity, socio-economic harm, psychological harm and the country’s broader moral and economic balance. Those areas show that the government is treating gambling not only as a betting issue, but as a wider enforcement and social policy concern.

Penalties to Be Settled During Legal Review

The draft bill includes penalties for gambling-related offences, with offenders potentially facing fines, imprisonment or both depending on the nature and severity of the violation. The exact penalty structure is expected to be settled during the legislative review process.

The proposal will be vetted by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division before moving to the next stage of approval. Reports did not give a fixed timetable for when the bill could be placed before parliament or brought into force.

Gambling is already broadly illegal in Bangladesh, apart from limited exceptions such as some horse-race betting and government-approved lotteries. The new bill would not simply restate that position. It would create clearer legal language for gambling products now linked to digital platforms, remote access and online payment systems.

Bangladesh Updates Law for Online Betting Era

The draft law comes as governments across Asia continue to reassess gambling controls in response to online platforms, social media promotion and digital finance. For Bangladesh, the central issue is whether a 159 year old statute can still support enforcement against modern betting products.

If passed, the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, would give law enforcement agencies more specific language to address online gambling networks and related financial activity. It would also bring betting, bookmakers and match-fixing into a more detailed statutory framework.

The bill remains at the draft stage, but Cabinet approval marks a significant step in Bangladesh’s effort to replace one of its oldest gambling laws. The next test will be whether the final version keeps the broad digital definitions now included in the draft.

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