TLDR
- Bangladesh has proposed the Gambling Prevention Bill of 2026 to replace the Public Gambling Act of 1867.
- The draft names Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT, along with VPNs and digital wallets, as tools used in online gambling.
- Courts could close bank accounts, digital wallets and cryptocurrency wallets linked to gambling.
- The government would use AI monitoring, facial recognition and a national digital blacklist database.
- Penalties include up to seven years in prison and fines of up to BDT 5 crore for online betting.
Bangladesh has proposed a new law to replace its gambling rules from the colonial era. The Gambling Prevention Bill of 2026 would take the place of the Public Gambling Act of 1867.
The draft covers both traditional gambling and online platforms. It also names cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT, as tools used in online gambling.
What the Bill Covers
The bill defines gambling broadly. It includes any game played for money or other valuable items, such as bingo, roulette, poker and card games.
Online gambling is treated as its own category. This includes sports betting, live betting, exchange betting, casino betting, virtual betting, fantasy betting and esports betting.
The draft also lists technology linked to online gambling. Along with cryptocurrencies, it names VPN services, proxies, mirror sites, ghost SIM cards, mobile banking accounts and digital wallets.
Older laws focused on gaming houses and individual players. The new bill targets the wider network behind gambling operations.
Marketing is also covered. Sponsorships, affiliate programs, referral campaigns and social media promotions fall under the bill, which means influencers could face enforcement.
Surveillance and Financial Controls
Authorities could act against anyone using VPNs, proxy servers, hosting services, domain services or cloud systems to run or hide gambling. The bill also targets efforts to reopen blocked sites through new domains or mirror websites.
Courts would have the power to close bank accounts, mobile financial service accounts, payment gateways, digital wallets and cryptocurrency wallets tied to gambling transactions. Authorities could also freeze funds believed to be linked to gambling.
Chapter 4, Section 39 proposes a national digital blacklist database. It would store national ID details, SIM cards, bank and wallet accounts, devices, domains, IP addresses, websites and apps linked to suspected offenses.
Section 40 creates a system that links national ID records with SIM registrations and financial accounts. It would allow biometric checks, including facial recognition.
Section 43 lets the government use artificial intelligence monitoring, deep packet inspection, risk scores and transaction tracking. These tools would help flag suspicious wallets, accounts, apps and websites.
The penalties are much tougher than under the 1867 law. Taking part in gambling directly or indirectly could bring up to two years in prison, a fine of up to BDT 200,000, or both.
Remote gambling could lead to five years in jail or a BDT 1 crore fine. Taking part in online betting carries the harshest penalty for players, with up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to BDT 5 crore.
Bookmakers face up to seven years and BDT 5 crore. Match fixing carries seven years and BDT 1 crore, while spot fixing carries five years and up to BDT 50 lakh.
Running gambling services through VPNs or cloud systems could bring seven years and a BDT 5 crore fine. Gambling ads and sponsorships carry up to three years and BDT 50 lakh.
Using fake SIM cards or fraudulent accounts could mean seven years in prison, rising to ten years for organized offenses.
The Ministry of Home Affairs would lead enforcement. The telecom regulator BTRC would shut down illegal sites and apps, while Bangladesh Bank and the Financial Intelligence Unit would monitor money flows.
