Parliament passes Gambling Prevention Act; online betting now punishable

The Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday passed the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, replacing the nearly 160-year-old Public Gambling Act of 1867. The new law introduces a comprehensive legal framework to tackle modern forms of gambling, including online betting, remote gambling, match-fixing, cryptocurrency-based gambling, digital gambling platforms, VPNs, fake SIM cards and mobile financial service (MFS) accounts.

The legislation defines 24 key terms, including gambling, online gambling, remote gambling, betting, bookmaker, match-fixing, spot-fixing, digital gambling platform, digital wallet, cryptocurrency, fake SIM, ghost SIM, fake MFS account, mirror site and VPN.

Depending on the nature of the offence, the law provides 14 categories of punishment, including imprisonment, fines or both.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed introduced the bill in Parliament on June 23. It was then referred to the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Law for scrutiny and was passed by voice vote on Tuesday following the committee's recommendations.

Presenting the bill in the House, the home minister said the existing gambling law, enacted more than 150 years ago, was no longer adequate to deal with technology-driven gambling. He noted that Article 18(2) of the Constitution directs the state to take effective measures to prevent gambling, while the 2018 Deputy Commissioners' Conference also recommended updating the law and increasing penalties.

He said online gambling, sports betting, virtual casinos, cryptocurrency-based gambling, fake SIM cards and MFS accounts, biometric fraud, VPNs, social media and digital payment systems are increasingly being used for gambling, money laundering and fraud, posing serious threats to public order, economic stability, public security and the country's youth. The new legislation aims to address these challenges through a modern and integrated legal framework.

Offences under the new law
The second chapter of the Act lists 14 categories of offences, including participating in gambling directly or indirectly, operating online or remote gambling and online betting services, managing or using gambling premises, manufacturing, storing, distributing or using gambling equipment, acting as a bookmaker, engaging in match-fixing or spot-fixing, promoting gambling through advertisements, sponsorships, affiliate marketing or referral campaigns, using VPNs, proxy servers, mirror sites, hosting services, domains or cloud infrastructure to facilitate gambling, operating gambling activities through fake SIM cards, ghost SIMs, fake MFS accounts or biometric fraud, and conducting gambling-related financial transactions, money laundering or cryptocurrency-based payments.

Penalties
The Act prescribes a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment, a Tk 200,000 fine, or both for general gambling offences.

Operating online or remote gambling carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and a Tk 10 million fine, while online betting is punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment and a Tk 50 million fine.

Managing, controlling or allowing gambling on any premises is punishable by up to five years in prison and a Tk 400,000 fine. Courts may also confiscate buildings, rooms, vehicles, servers or other property used in the offence.

Manufacturing, storing, importing, supplying, selling, distributing or using gambling equipment is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment and a Tk 1 million fine, with courts empowered to confiscate or destroy such equipment.

Acting as a bookmaker carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and a Tk 50 million fine.

Match-fixing is punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment and a Tk 10 million fine, while spot-fixing carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and a Tk 5 million fine. Courts may also disqualify convicted individuals from participating in sporting events either temporarily or permanently.

Advertising gambling, making misleading promotional claims, offering false promises of profit, or conducting sponsorship, affiliate marketing or referral campaigns may result in up to three years' imprisonment and a Tk 5 million fine for individuals, companies, media organisations, digital platforms, influencers, artists, athletes or celebrities.

Using VPNs, proxy servers, mirror sites, hosting services, domain services, cloud infrastructure or content delivery networks to facilitate gambling is punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment and a Tk 50 million fine.

Operating gambling through fake SIM cards, ghost SIMs, fake MFS accounts or biometric fraud carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment and a Tk 5 million fine. If committed as part of an organised network or for money laundering purposes, the penalty increases to 10 years' imprisonment and a Tk 50 million fine.

Gambling-related financial transactions conducted through banks, MFS platforms, digital wallets, hawala, hundi or cryptocurrencies, or attempts to conceal or legitimise such funds, will be treated as predicate offences under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.

Corporate liability and investigation
Where offences are committed through a company, corporate body, digital gambling platform, hosting provider, payment gateway or any other institution, directors, chief executives, managers, partners or responsible officials may be held liable unless they can prove the offence occurred without their knowledge and that they exercised due diligence to prevent it.

The institution itself may also be prosecuted, and courts may suspend, revoke or prohibit its registration, licence or operations. Repeat offenders may face penalties of up to double the maximum punishment prescribed by law.

Courts have also been empowered to confiscate assets linked to gambling offences, including money, property, bank accounts, MFS accounts, digital wallets, crypto assets, servers, domains, SIM cards and electronic devices.

Cases involving online gambling, online betting and cyber-related offences will be tried by Cyber Tribunals, while other offences will be heard by courts with criminal jurisdiction.

All offences under the Act are classified as cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.

Investigations may only be conducted by police officers not below the rank of Sub-Inspector. With court approval, investigators may also temporarily seize or freeze bank accounts, MFS accounts, digital wallets and cryptocurrency wallets belonging to suspects.

Additional preventive measures
In the public interest, the government or designated authorities will have the power to block, remove or ban gambling-related websites, mobile applications, servers, domains, IP addresses, URLs, social media pages, groups and channels, as well as digital gambling platforms.

Courts may also order the closure of bank accounts, MFS accounts, payment gateways, digital wallets and cryptocurrency wallets used in gambling operations.

The law further provides for the creation of a national digital blacklist database to combat gambling, online betting, money laundering and related crimes. It also mandates the integration of the National ID (NID), SIM registration and MFS accounts, the introduction of biometric and facial recognition verification systems, and the establishment of an inter-agency task force comprising representatives from law enforcement agencies, intelligence services and relevant ministries.

The government expects the new law to establish a modern legal framework capable of addressing technology-driven gambling, online betting, digital financial fraud and money laundering, while strengthening public security, social order and economic stability.