The Parliament of Bangladesh unanimously passed the Gambling Prevention Act 2026 on June 30, replacing the colonial law from 1867, as reported by The Daily Star. The effective date of the law has not yet been announced.
The government initially approved the document on June 18, and on June 23, Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed introduced it to Parliament. This new law introduces 24 categories of gambling concepts, including betting, bookmaking, match-fixing, spot-fixing, digital assets, and digital wallets, along with 14 types of penalties. Key provisions highlighted by iGN include:
- Up to 7 years in prison or a fine of up to $407,000: Participation in online betting, including sports betting and online casino games.
- Up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $81,000: Online or remote gambling.
- Up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to $1,600: Direct or indirect participation in gambling, which includes lotteries, bingo, dice games, poker, and card games for money or other valuables.
- Police powers: The police are granted the authority to conduct searches, seize property, and block websites and applications without prior judicial approval.
- Definition of gambling premises: The law recognizes call centers, internet cafes, servers, data centers, transportation, as well as groups and channels on social media as gambling premises.
- Gambling equipment: The list of gambling equipment includes servers, software, databases, digital and cryptocurrency wallets, and call center equipment.
Members of the NCP and Jamaat warned about the risk of police abuse of power and conflicts with the criminal procedure code, suggesting the introduction of judicial oversight after seizures. The Interior Minister responded that waiting for judicial approval would give offenders time to destroy evidence and remove gambling sites, noting that the police already possess similar powers under other laws. Ultimately, the opposition supported the law.
In parallel, Parliament passed an amendment to the cybersecurity law, abolishing its article on penalties for online gambling in favor of the new comprehensive law.