Bangladesh's National Assembly has passed stringent legislation aimed at tackling gambling activities, both online and offline. Under this new law, anyone convicted of gambling can face imprisonment for more than two years and fines of up to 200,000 Taka. Those found guilty of more severe offenses may incur both penalties. Specifically for online gambling violations, offenders could be imprisoned for as long as five years or fined up to 10 million Taka. In cases involving online betting crimes, the maximum sentence has been set at seven years in prison or a fine of 50 million Taka.
The new law grants the government powers to investigate illegal gambling operations, though the opposition has raised concerns regarding police oversight. There are fears that law enforcement could search properties and block websites without judicial approval.
The legislation identifies 24 different gambling-related activities, including online betting, bookmaking, match-fixing, and the use of digital platforms and cryptocurrency for gambling. Additionally, the Parliament has amended the Cyber Security Act to eliminate gambling-related provisions now that the standalone Gambling Act has been implemented. The government emphasizes that these reforms are necessary to combat the growing number of individuals using the internet, VPNs, digital payments, and false identities for illegal gambling and money laundering.
