Bangladesh’s government has approved a draft bill to overhaul its 159-year-old legislative framework for gambling. The move is aimed at imposing tighter control against such activity, in the light of technology helping the spread of online and offline betting, according to local media.
The country’s cabinet gave on Thursday (June 18) in-principle approval to a draft of the Gambling Prevention Act 2026 at a meeting chaired by the prime minister, Tarique Rahman.
The bill would be an update and modernisation of rules under the Public Gambling Act 1867, to “maintain public order, reduce criminal tendencies, prevent socio-economic and psychological harm, and preserve the country’s overall moral and economic balance”. That is according to a report in BSS News, the official news agency of Bangladesh.
The outlet said the key features of the proposed law included “definitions of gambling, gambling premises, gambling equipment, digital assets, digital gambling platforms, digital wallets, totalisators, online and remote gambling, betting, bookmakers, match-fixing, spot-fixing and other gambling-related activities”.
Another outlet, the Dhaka Tribune, said that per the draft, offenders may face fines, imprisonment or both, depending on the nature and severity of the offence. Detailed penalty structures would be finalised during a legislative review process.
The Dhaka Tribune said the draft would undergo vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division before being submitted for final approval. No timeline was mentioned in that report.
Mr Rahman’s centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party took office in February after a landslide victory in parliamentary elections.
The Public Gambling Act 1867 already prohibits most forms of traditional gambling in Bangladesh, including land-based casinos.
GGRAsia reported in May that the country was planning to overhaul the regulatory framework for gambling.
