Legal casino gambling age in Bangladesh
Bangladesh prohibits gambling and has never licensed casinos, online casinos or private bookmakers. The Constitution directs the state to prevent gambling, yet for 159 years the main statute was the colonial-era Public Gambling Act, 1867, with fines of a few hundred taka. On 1 July 2026 the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026) came into force. It repeals the 1867 law, makes offline and online gambling an offence for anyone who takes part, and gives the telecoms regulator and the central bank explicit roles in blocking websites and payments.
Key points
- Article 18(2) of the Constitution of Bangladesh states: “The State shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling.”
- The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 came into force on 1 July 2026 and repealed the Public Gambling Act, 1867. Its definition of gambling expressly covers lotteries, roulette, poker, card games and “all forms of wagering or betting”.
- Taking part in gambling is itself an offence: up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 2 lakh for ordinary gambling, up to five years or Tk 1 crore for online gambling, and up to seven years or Tk 5 crore for online betting. All offences under the Act are cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.
- No operator holds, or can obtain, a Bangladeshi licence to offer online casino games. The Act authorises the government to block gambling websites and apps, assigns blocking to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), and allows courts to close bank, mobile financial service (MFS) and crypto accounts.
- Before the 2026 Act, online gambling was targeted under section 20 of the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025, a provision removed from the cyber law in June 2026.
- There is no national self-exclusion scheme and no gambling-specific helpline.
Last reviewed: 7 October 2026.
Online casinos for Bangladesh
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Historical development
The Public Gambling Act, 1867 (Act No. II of 1867) was enacted for British India on 10 April 1867 and remained in force in Bangladesh after independence in 1971 (Laws of Bangladesh portal). It punished keeping a “common gaming-house”, a place where instruments of gaming are kept or used for the profit of its owner or keeper, with a fine of up to Tk 200 or three months’ imprisonment (section 3), and being found gaming there with up to Tk 100 or one month (section 4). Ordinances of 1976 and 1978 limited the Act to “the whole of Bangladesh except a Metropolitan Area”; in Dhaka, section 92 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, 1976 provided only a Tk 100 fine for public gambling (Dhaka Tribune, September 2019).
Gambling had a long history in the sporting clubs of Dhaka’s Motijheel district. A Dhaka Tribune investigation (2019) describes bridge and housie (a bingo-style game) in clubs from the Pakistan period, the card game “one-ten” becoming dominant by about 2000, and casino-style operations appearing at the Victoria Sporting Club roughly five years before 2019.
These operations became a national scandal in September 2019, when the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite police unit, and the police raided clubs including the Fakirapool Young Men’s Club, Dhaka Wanderers Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club. A RAB mobile court sentenced more than 180 detainees to six months to one year in jail, and a leader of the Jubo League, the youth wing of the then ruling Awami League, was among those charged. The Dhaka Tribune reported that the authorities struggled to prosecute the nearly 200 people detained under the 1867 Act and that the leading suspect was charged under narcotics, arms and money-laundering laws instead. The Law Minister said: “We need to formulate an effective law.” None followed for almost seven years.
Meanwhile online betting spread through smartphones and mobile money. In 2022 The Business Standard reported that “there is no hard and fast law in the country that prohibits online gambling and betting” and that police were relying on fraud provisions of the Digital Security Act, 2018. A June 2024 Dismislab study, cited in the Wikipedia overview of gambling in Bangladesh, estimated about five million active users of gambling sites; the figure has not been officially confirmed.
Legal framework
The Constitution
Article 18 of the Constitution, headed “Public health and morality”, provides in clause (2) that “the State shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling”. It is a fundamental principle of state policy. As a Daily Star legal analysis notes, such principles are not judicially enforceable in themselves, but they guide legislation.
The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026
The Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026) is dated 1 July 2026 and, under section 1(2), came into force immediately; Risingbd (2 July 2026) reports that it was gazetted that day after presidential assent. The Bengali text is authoritative (section 50), and section 3 gives the Act overriding effect over other laws.
Section 2(6) defines gambling (juā) as all forms of wagering or betting; operating or participating in housie, bingo, lottery, roulette, dice, poker, card games or similar games for money or valuables; investing or collecting money or assets for gambling; and supplying any place, materials, equipment or digital infrastructure for gambling. Online gambling includes operating gambling websites or apps, running social media gambling groups, opening or using accounts, depositing funds and acting as agent for a foreign platform. Online betting covers wagering online on sports, competitions, e-sports, elections or entertainment events, including live, casino and fantasy betting.
Chapter II creates eleven groups of offences and Chapter III sets the penalties. The main ones are:
| Offence (section) | Maximum imprisonment | Maximum fine |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling (s. 4, penalty s. 15) | 2 years | Tk 2 lakh |
| Online or remote gambling (s. 5, penalty s. 16) | 5 years | Tk 1 crore |
| Online betting (s. 6, penalty s. 17) | 7 years | Tk 5 crore |
| Operating gambling premises (s. 7, penalty s. 18) | 5 years | Tk 4 lakh |
| Bookmaking (s. 9, penalty s. 20) | 7 years | Tk 5 crore |
| Match-fixing / spot-fixing (s. 10, penalty s. 21) | 7 years / 5 years | Tk 1 crore / Tk 50 lakh |
| Gambling advertising and sponsorship (s. 11, penalty s. 22) | 3 years | Tk 50 lakh |
| VPN, proxy, mirror-site, hosting or domain services for gambling (s. 12, penalty s. 23) | 7 years | Tk 5 crore |
| Fake SIM, fraudulent MFS accounts or biometric fraud (s. 13, penalty s. 24) | 7 years (10 years if organised or linked to money laundering) | Tk 50 lakh (Tk 5 crore) |
Penalties may be imprisonment, a fine or both (a lakh is 100,000 taka; a crore is 10 million). Gambling fund transfers and cryptocurrency use (section 14) are punished under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012. Repeat offenders face double the maximum sentence (section 28), abettors are punished as principals (section 27), and directors and managers of companies, platforms, hosts and payment gateways are personally liable unless they took all reasonable steps to prevent the offence (section 26). Every offence is cognisable (arrest without warrant), non-bailable and non-compoundable (section 34). Online offences go to the Cyber Tribunals, others to the ordinary criminal courts, and mobile courts may try listed offences (sections 32 and 33).
Section 49 repeals the 1867 Act, saving pending cases. Unlike the 1867 Act, which exempted “any game of mere skill” (section 11A) and betting on licensed horse races, the text of the 2026 Act reviewed for this guide contains no express exemption for games of skill, horse racing or government-approved lotteries. Trade press coverage such as AsGam (July 2026) notes that some horse-race betting and government-approved lotteries were excepted under the 1867 regime, but does not say whether those exceptions survive; we could not locate any such provision in the published text, and the point should be treated as unsettled until rules or an official translation clarify it.
Other relevant laws
- Contract Act, 1872, section 30: agreements by way of wager are void, so gambling debts cannot be enforced in court (Daily Star analysis, June 2026).
- Penal Code, 1860, section 294A: penalises keeping an office or place for drawing any lottery that is not a State lottery or a lottery authorised by the Government (Laws of Bangladesh portal).
Regulator and licensing model
Bangladesh follows a prohibition model: there is no gambling regulator and no licence that a casino, bookmaker or online operator can apply for. Section 43 of the 2026 Act divides enforcement among state bodies. The Ministry of Home Affairs leads on enforcement and policy; the ministry responsible for information and communication technology handles technical controls; the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) blocks illegal websites, apps, domains and IP addresses; Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) monitor gambling-related transactions and money laundering; the police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigates; and the education, religious affairs, information and sports ministries run awareness campaigns, control advertising and tackle match-fixing.
The Act also allows an inter-agency task force (section 42), a National Digital Blacklist Database of offenders’ ID numbers, SIM cards, accounts, domains and apps (section 40), linking of national ID, SIM and MFS records (section 41), and AI-based monitoring and deep packet inspection (section 44). We found no implementing rules under section 48 as of 7 October 2026.
Lotteries are the one area where state-sanctioned prize schemes have existed: the Penal Code offence in section 294A applies only to lottery offices not authorised by the government, and the Income Tax Act, 2023 taxes lottery income (see Taxation). The Wikipedia overview states that recognised entities may hold lotteries under a government Lottery Policy, 2011; we could not retrieve the policy document itself for this review. How these lotteries fit with the 2026 Act’s definition of gambling, which names lottery expressly, has not been officially clarified.
Online gambling
No form of online gambling is licensed in Bangladesh, and no operator, domestic or foreign, may lawfully offer online casino games, poker or sports betting to people in the country. Offshore betting apps nonetheless reach a large audience through social media, celebrity endorsements and local agents who take deposits through mobile financial services.
Enforcement under the cyber security law, 2025–2026
The interim government repealed the Cyber Security Act, 2023 and issued the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 in May 2025 (Daily Observer, 23 May 2025). Section 20 of the Ordinance, in Chapter VI, made it an offence to create, operate, participate in, assist or encourage gambling in cyberspace, or to promote it by appearing in advertisements, with a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine of Tk 1 crore, or both, according to a government handout reported by The Business Standard (14 September 2025). Related fraud offences carried up to five years’ imprisonment.
On 27 May 2025 the CID announced a nationwide crackdown under the Ordinance. It said it had identified more than 1,000 MFS agents involved in gambling transactions and had sent their details to Bangladesh Bank for licence cancellation and financial penalties, and asked the public to report gambling apps and websites (The Daily Star, 27 May 2025). The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (September 2025) reported that the High Court Division had directed the authorities to take effective measures to prevent online gambling, and that media were being told to close, block or remove “all online gambling gateways, applications, links, websites and advertisements on an urgent basis in the public interest”.
The provision was carried into the Cyber Security Act, 2026, issued on 10 April 2026. In June 2026 the Finance Minister said that online gambling was a criminal offence under its section 20 and that the BFIU had suspended or frozen about 55,000 MFS accounts linked to online gambling and digital hundi (informal money transfer) (The Financial Express, 24 June 2026). On 30 June 2026 Parliament passed an amendment removing section 20 from the cyber law; the Home Minister explained that “with the passage of the Gambling Prevention Bill-2026, there is no longer any need to include a section related to gambling in the cyber security law” (The Financial Express, 30 June 2026).
Blocking, payments and advertising under the 2026 Act
The Gambling Prevention Act puts online enforcement on a statutory footing. Blocking, meaning orders that require internet providers to stop access to a site or service, is authorised by section 38: the government may block, remove or ban gambling websites, apps, servers, domains, IP addresses, URLs and social media pages, groups and channels, including mirror and clone sites, and section 43 assigns implementation to the BTRC. Payment blocking works through the courts: under section 39 a court may order the closure of bank accounts, MFS accounts, payment gateways and digital or crypto wallets used for gambling, and under section 31 investigators may seek a court order to freeze them temporarily. Providing VPN, proxy, hosting or domain services to facilitate gambling is a separate offence (section 12).
Advertising and sponsorship of gambling are offences under section 11, with a maximum of three years’ imprisonment or a Tk 50 lakh fine. The Dhaka Tribune (30 June 2026) reported that the advertising offence expressly reaches influencers, artistes, athletes and celebrities who promote gambling. Section 36 lets a police officer search premises, seize equipment and arrest suspects without a warrant where evidence risks being destroyed, provided that the reasons are recorded and reported to the Cyber Tribunal. Opposition members of Parliament objected to these powers during the debate, warning of possible misuse; the government said they were needed to prevent evidence from being removed (Asia News Network / The Daily Star, 1 July 2026).
Position of players
Under the old law, players were exposed mainly in physical settings. A person found gaming in a common gaming-house could be fined up to Tk 100 or jailed for one month under section 4 of the 1867 Act, and in the metropolitan cities a Tk 100 fine applied under the police ordinances. Prosecutions of players did occur: those detained in the 2019 club raids received short prison sentences, and arrests of groups of card players continued, for example the arrest of 18 people in Motijheel in November 2025 reported by the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (10 November 2025). From May 2025, section 20 of the Cyber Security Ordinance expressly covered anyone who “participates in” gambling in cyberspace.
The 2026 Act leaves no doubt that the player commits an offence. Sections 4, 5 and 6 provide that any person who directly or indirectly engages in gambling, online or remote gambling, or online betting commits an offence, and the definition of online gambling includes opening or using an account and depositing money. The maximum penalties (see the table above) are doubled for repeat offenders, and because offences are non-bailable, bail is at the court’s discretion. A foreign licence held by an offshore site is no defence, and using a VPN to reach a blocked site may fall within section 12. The Act has no lighter regime for first-time offenders.
The penalties are maximums, and the Act is new. As of 7 October 2026 we found no reported conviction of an individual player under the 2026 Act, but because the offences are cognisable and enforcement had already targeted MFS accounts and agents under the cyber law, players should assume that the law is actively enforced. Private gambling debts remain unenforceable under section 30 of the Contract Act.
Taxation
Because casinos, betting and online gambling are prohibited, there is no gambling tax regime for operators. Money and assets connected with gambling are subject to confiscation by the courts under section 29 of the 2026 Act and vest in the state. Lottery income is the one category addressed in tax law: section 118 of the Income Tax Act, 2023 provides for tax to be deducted at source from income derived from lotteries and similar sources. We could not verify the current deduction rate for this review; readers should consult the National Board of Revenue. Winnings from illegal gambling are not a lawful source of income and may be treated as proceeds of crime.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Without a licensed market, Bangladesh has none of the usual consumer-protection tools: no national self-exclusion register, no deposit or loss limits, no complaints body and no gambling-specific helpline that we could identify. Players who use offshore sites have no domestic route to recover funds, and contracts with such operators are void.
The 2026 Act approaches gambling harm through prevention rather than treatment. Section 45 requires the government to run public awareness programmes through the media, educational institutions, religious institutions and civil society, and section 43 gives the ministries of education, religious affairs and information specific awareness roles. The Act contains no provisions on counselling or treatment for people with gambling problems. The CID has described online gambling as leading to “addiction, financial ruin… family problems and even suicide” (The Daily Star, 2025). General guidance is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Account freezes (2026). In June 2026 the Finance Minister reported that about 55,000 MFS accounts linked to online gambling and digital hundi had been suspended or frozen.
- Gambling Prevention Act, 2026. Placed by the Home Minister and passed unanimously at the end of June 2026 (reported on 30 June and 1 July), the Act was gazetted and came into force on 1 July 2026, replacing the 1867 Act (Dhaka Tribune; Risingbd).
- Cyber law amendment (June 2026). Section 20 was removed from the Cyber Security Act, 2026, leaving online gambling to the new statute.
- Pending. Rules under section 48, the National Digital Blacklist Database, NID-SIM-MFS linking and an official English translation had not been published by 7 October 2026. The status of state-authorised lotteries and horse-race betting under the new Act also awaits clarification.
Casino listings for players in Bangladesh
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not show that an operator is licensed or permitted in Bangladesh: no online casino can hold a Bangladeshi licence, offering online gambling to people in Bangladesh is prohibited, and under the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 taking part in online gambling or online betting is itself a criminal offence. The listings must not be read as an indication that playing is lawful.
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Sources and further reading
- Government of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh, Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026) (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Government of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh, The Public Gambling Act, 1867 (Act No. II of 1867) (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Government of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh, Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Article 18 (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Government of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh, Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 (Ordinance No. 25 of 2025) (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Government of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh, Income Tax Act, 2023 (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Imran Hossain, Dhaka Tribune, How weak is our archaic gambling law? (2019).
- Dhaka Tribune, Cards to casinos (2019).
- The Daily Star, Online gambling and money transaction: question of legality in the context of Bangladesh (accessed 7 October 2026).
- Asadulla Lion and Zia Chowdhury, The Business Standard, Online gambling ads targeting Bangladesh (2022).
- Government of Bangladesh, Laws of Bangladesh, The Penal Code, 1860, section 294A (accessed 7 October 2026).
- The Daily Star, Nationwide crackdown begins on online gambling and betting (2025).
- The Daily Observer, Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 (2025).
- The Business Standard, Maximum two years imprisonment for gambling in cyberspace, govt warns (2025).
- Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Cyber Security Ordinance allows 2-year jail, Tk 1-crore fine for online gambling (2025).
- Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Police arrest 18 over gambling in Dhaka (2025).
- The Financial Express, Online gambling a criminal offense under Cyber Security Act: finance minister (2026).
- The Financial Express, Bangladesh amends cybersecurity law, drops online gambling clause (2026).
- Pinak Sarkar and Mayesha Afiya Jarin, The Daily Star, Are our laws doing enough to address gambling? (2026).
- Dhaka Tribune, Parliament passes bill to tackle online gambling, betting (2026).
- Asia News Network / The Daily Star, Bangladesh parliament passes anti-gambling law (2026).
- Risingbd, Gazette published for new law to curb online gambling (in Bengali) (2026).
- AsGam, Bangladesh passes new gambling law with up to seven years in prison and US$400,000 fine for some offences (2026).
- Wikipedia, Gambling in Bangladesh (accessed 7 October 2026).
