Bangladesh has approved sweeping new legislation aimed at strengthening its fight against online gambling and sports-related corruption, marking the country's most significant gambling law reform in more than a century.
As reported by local media, parliament passed the Gambling Prevention Bill, 2026 by voice vote after Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed presented the legislation. Opposition lawmakers had proposed referring the bill to a review committee for public consultation, but the motion was rejected before the measure was approved.
The new law is designed to address the rapid evolution of gambling from traditional venues to online platforms that operate through smartphones, social media, digital payment systems, and overseas websites. Officials said the legislation modernizes the Public Gambling Act of 1867, which they believe is no longer adequate to regulate today's digital gambling environment.
One of the key features of the bill is the introduction of legal definitions for activities and technologies that did not exist under the previous law. These include online and remote gambling, digital betting platforms, digital assets and wallets, professional bookmakers, totalizators, match-fixing and spot-fixing.
The legislation also creates specific offenses for manipulating sporting events, reflecting growing concerns that illegal betting markets can undermine the integrity of professional competitions. Authorities have increasingly warned that cross-border gambling networks use social media, messaging applications and mobile payment services to recruit local users and process betting transactions.
Government officials said online gambling has evolved beyond a social issue into a broader cybersecurity and financial crime challenge. They noted that many illegal operators collect sensitive personal information and may facilitate money laundering through digital payment channels.
Under the new law, individuals convicted of gambling-related offenses may face imprisonment, financial penalties, or both, depending on the nature and severity of the violation. Officials said the updated legal framework is intended to provide law enforcement agencies with stronger tools to combat increasingly sophisticated digital gambling operations while safeguarding public order and the integrity of sporting events.
The new law introduces legal definitions for emerging forms of gambling, including digital gambling platforms, remote betting, digital wallets, professional bookmakers, match-fixing and spot-fixing
