Bangladesh is preparing for one of the largest gaming regulatory reforms in its history. The government intends to replace the current Public Gambling Act of 1867 with a new, comprehensive law tailored to the modern digital landscape.
The initiative’s primary goal is to address legal gaps that enable online and mobile wagering and foreign portals to flourish in the country. Salahuddin Ahmed, the local Minister for Home Affairs, announced the drafting of the new bill, stating that this work is in its final stages.
Market Demand: 19th-Century Law Is Outdated
The need for reform stems from the limitations of the current regulations. For over 150 years, gambling supervision in the country was based on a document passed long before the advent of the Internet, digital communications, and modern financial technologies.
The existing legislation largely focuses on brick-and-mortar clubs and relies on outdated concepts such as «common gaming houses.» As a result, enforcement agencies face significant challenges in dealing with users who access foreign websites.
The rapid spread of online casinos, sportsbooks, and microbetting bears several risks:
- increasing cybersecurity threats;
- complication of financial flow control;
- growing pressure on the economic system;
- youth involvement in illegal forms of wagering.
In this regard, the transition to modern technology-oriented regulation is considered one of the state’s priority tasks. The corresponding measures are already being taken.
Strengthening Grip Over Digital Channels
The new bill is expected to provide authorities with additional tools to combat offshore online gambling.
According to officials, the law should ensure:
- expanding the ability to filter internet resources;
- creating a unified mechanism for controlling web gaming;
- the blocking of payment systems associated with illicit operators;
- enhancing the effectiveness of enforcement against foreign resources.
In this way, the government hopes to restrict the activities of brands offering products outside the national legal framework. Bangladesh’s approach is consistent with a global trend in South Asia. The regional online gambling regulation is accompanied by increased control over financial flows, internet infrastructure, and digital services.
Growing Efforts to Combat Illicit Segments
The new initiative will build on existing measures. Authorities previously introduced significant penalties under the Cyber Security Ordinance’s Section 20. The document criminalised the promotion and operation of iGaming applications. The maximum punishment is a 2-year prison term or a 1 crore taka (around $81,800) fine.
The new specialised law should ultimately eliminate ambiguities in enforcement measures. Legislators hope to dissolve protracted debates over the distinction between games of skill and chance, which have been subject to complicated regulation for many years.
At the same time, authorities continue to grow their technical capabilities. The BTRC has already expanded its digital monitoring infrastructure and is blocking thousands of URLs, mirror sites, and proxy channels related to illicit gambling.
Several government bodies are participating in preparations for the new regulation:
- BTRC. The commission is responsible for monitoring and blocking internet resources.
- Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs. The division is involved in developing the legislative framework.
- Telecommunications companies. These corporations assist in identifying suspicious activity.
- MFS providers. Suppliers facilitate monitoring of financial transfers associated with illicit wagering schemes.
These agencies intend to prepare interdepartmental instructions on control and enforcement. In such a scenario, the new rules will be implemented nationwide immediately after the president’s signature.
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